Method and apparatus for monitoring power saving signal in a wireless communication system

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are disclosed. In an example from the perspective of a User Equipment (UE), the UE receives an indication from a base station, wherein the indication is indicative of monitoring a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions and at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions is associated with a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) ON duration and is within Active Time associated with the UE. The UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring the power saving signal in the at least one monitoring occasion. The UE monitors Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) during the DRX ON duration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/870,978 filed on Jul. 5, 2019, the entiredisclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication networks,and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for monitoring a powersaving signal in a wireless communication system.

BACKGROUND

With the rapid rise in demand for communication of large amounts of datato and from mobile communication devices, traditional mobile voicecommunication networks are evolving into networks that communicate withInternet Protocol (IP) data packets. Such IP data packet communicationcan provide users of mobile communication devices with voice over IP,multimedia, multicast and on-demand communication services.

An exemplary network structure is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial RadioAccess Network (E-UTRAN). The E-UTRAN system can provide high datathroughput in order to realize the above-noted voice over IP andmultimedia services. A new radio technology for the next generation(e.g., 5G) is currently being discussed by the 3GPP standardsorganization. Accordingly, changes to the current body of 3GPP standardare currently being submitted and considered to evolve and finalize the3GPP standard.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, one or more devices and/ormethods are provided. In an example from the perspective of a UserEquipment (UE), the UE receives an indication from a base station,wherein the indication is indicative of monitoring a power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions and at least one monitoring occasionof the one or more monitoring occasions is associated with aDiscontinuous Reception (DRX) ON duration and is within Active Timeassociated with the UE. The UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoringthe power saving signal in the at least one monitoring occasion. The UEmonitors Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) during the DRX ONduration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a wireless communication system according toone exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a transmitter system (also known as accessnetwork) and a receiver system (also known as user equipment or UE)according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a communication system accordingto one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the program code of FIG. 3according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram associated with an uplink-downlink timing relationaccording to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary scenario associated withone or more monitoring occasions for a power saving signal according toone exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary scenario associated withone or more monitoring occasions for a power saving signal according toone exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart according to one exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exemplary wireless communication systems and devices described belowemploy a wireless communication system, supporting a broadcast service.Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide varioustypes of communication such as voice, data, and so on. These systems maybe based on code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multipleaccess (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA),3^(rd) Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) LTE (Long Term Evolution)wireless access, 3GPP LTE-A or LTE-Advanced (Long Term EvolutionAdvanced), 3GPP2 UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), WiMax, 3GPP NR (NewRadio) wireless access for 5G, or some other modulation techniques.

In particular, the exemplary wireless communication systems devicesdescribed below may be designed to support one or more standards such asthe standard offered by a consortium named “3rd Generation PartnershipProject” referred to herein as 3GPP, including: R1-1803543, “draft CR to38.211 capturing the Jan18 ad-hoc and RAN1#92 meeting agreements”,Ericsson; RP-190727, “New WID: UE Power Saving in NR”, CATT, CAICT;R1#96bis RAN1 Chairman's note; R1#97 RAN1 Chairman's note; 3GPP TS38.213 V15.6.0, “NR Physical layer procedures for control”; 3GPP TS38.321 V15.6.0, “NR MAC protocol specification”. The standards anddocuments listed above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

FIG. 1 presents a multiple access wireless communication system inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. An accessnetwork 100 (AN) includes multiple antenna groups, one including 104 and106, another including 108 and 110, and an additional including 112 and114. In FIG. 1, only two antennas are shown for each antenna group,however, more or fewer antennas may be utilized for each antenna group.Access terminal 116 (AT) is in communication with antennas 112 and 114,where antennas 112 and 114 transmit information to access terminal 116over forward link 120 and receive information from access terminal 116over reverse link 118. AT 122 is in communication with antennas 106 and108, where antennas 106 and 108 transmit information to AT 122 overforward link 126 and receive information from AT 122 over reverse link124. In a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) system, communication links118, 120, 124 and 126 may use different frequencies for communication.For example, forward link 120 may use a different frequency than thatused by reverse link 118.

Each group of antennas and/or the area in which they are designed tocommunicate is often referred to as a sector of the access network. Inthe embodiment, antenna groups each may be designed to communicate toaccess terminals in a sector of the areas covered by access network 100.

In communication over forward links 120 and 126, the transmittingantennas of access network 100 may utilize beamforming in order toimprove the signal-to-noise ratio of forward links for the differentaccess terminals 116 and 122. Also, an access network using beamformingto transmit to access terminals scattered randomly through its coveragemay normally cause less interference to access terminals in neighboringcells than an access network transmitting through a single antenna toits access terminals.

An access network (AN) may be a fixed station or base station used forcommunicating with the terminals and may also be referred to as anaccess point, a Node B, a base station, an enhanced base station, aneNodeB (eNB), a Next Generation NodeB (gNB), or some other terminology.An access terminal (AT) may also be called user equipment (UE), awireless communication device, terminal, access terminal or some otherterminology.

FIG. 2 presents an embodiment of a transmitter system 210 (also known asthe access network) and a receiver system 250 (also known as accessterminal (AT) or user equipment (UE)) in a multiple-input andmultiple-output (MIMO) system 200. At the transmitter system 210,traffic data for a number of data streams may be provided from a datasource 212 to a transmit (TX) data processor 214.

In one embodiment, each data stream is transmitted over a respectivetransmit antenna. TX data processor 214 formats, codes, and interleavesthe traffic data for each data stream based on a particular codingscheme selected for that data stream to provide coded data.

The coded data for each data stream may be multiplexed with pilot datausing orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques. Thepilot data may typically be a known data pattern that is processed in aknown manner and may be used at the receiver system to estimate thechannel response. The multiplexed pilot and coded data for each datastream may then be modulated (i.e., symbol mapped) based on a particularmodulation scheme (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadraturephase shift keying (QPSK), M-ary phase shift keying (M-PSK), or M-aryquadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)) selected for that data streamto provide modulation symbols. The data rate, coding, and/or modulationfor each data stream may be determined by instructions performed byprocessor 230.

The modulation symbols for data streams are then provided to a TX MIMOprocessor 220, which may further process the modulation symbols (e.g.,for OFDM). TX MIMO processor 220 then provides N_(T) modulation symbolstreams to N_(T) transmitters (TMTR) 222 a through 222 t. In certainembodiments, TX MIMO processor 220 may apply beamforming weights to thesymbols of the data streams and to the antenna from which the symbol isbeing transmitted.

Each transmitter 222 receives and processes a respective symbol streamto provide one or more analog signals, and further conditions (e.g.,amplifies, filters, and/or upconverts) the analog signals to provide amodulated signal suitable for transmission over the MIMO channel. N_(T)modulated signals from transmitters 222 a through 222 t may then betransmitted from N_(T) antennas 224 a through 224 t, respectively.

At receiver system 250, the transmitted modulated signals are receivedby N_(R) antennas 252 a through 252 r and the received signal from eachantenna 252 may be provided to a respective receiver (RCVR) 254 athrough 254 r. Each receiver 254 may condition (e.g., filters,amplifies, and downconverts) a respective received signal, digitize theconditioned signal to provide samples, and/or further process thesamples to provide a corresponding “received” symbol stream.

An RX data processor 260 then receives and/or processes the N_(R)received symbol streams from N_(R) receivers 254 based on a particularreceiver processing technique to provide N_(T) “detected” symbolstreams. The RX data processor 260 may then demodulate, deinterleave,and/or decode each detected symbol stream to recover the traffic datafor the data stream. The processing by RX data processor 260 may becomplementary to that performed by TX MIMO processor 220 and TX dataprocessor 214 at transmitter system 210.

A processor 270 may periodically determine which pre-coding matrix touse (discussed below). Processor 270 formulates a reverse link messagecomprising a matrix index portion and a rank value portion.

The reverse link message may comprise various types of informationregarding the communication link and/or the received data stream. Thereverse link message may then be processed by a TX data processor 238,which may also receive traffic data for a number of data streams from adata source 236, modulated by a modulator 280, conditioned bytransmitters 254 a through 254 r, and/or transmitted back to transmittersystem 210.

At transmitter system 210, the modulated signals from receiver system250 are received by antennas 224, conditioned by receivers 222,demodulated by a demodulator 240, and processed by a RX data processor242 to extract the reserve link message transmitted by the receiversystem 250. Processor 230 may then determine which pre-coding matrix touse for determining the beamforming weights and may then process theextracted message.

FIG. 3 presents an alternative simplified functional block diagram of acommunication device according to one embodiment of the disclosedsubject matter. As shown in FIG. 3, the communication device 300 in awireless communication system can be utilized for realizing the UEs (orATs) 116 and 122 in FIG. 1 or the base station (or AN) 100 in FIG. 1,and the wireless communications system may be the LTE system or the NRsystem. The communication device 300 may include an input device 302, anoutput device 304, a control circuit 306, a central processing unit(CPU) 308, a memory 310, a program code 312, and a transceiver 314. Thecontrol circuit 306 executes the program code 312 in the memory 310through the CPU 308, thereby controlling an operation of thecommunications device 300. The communications device 300 can receivesignals input by a user through the input device 302, such as a keyboardor keypad, and can output images and sounds through the output device304, such as a monitor or speakers. The transceiver 314 is used toreceive and transmit wireless signals, delivering received signals tothe control circuit 306, and outputting signals generated by the controlcircuit 306 wirelessly. The communication device 300 in a wirelesscommunication system can also be utilized for realizing the AN 100 inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of the program code 312 shown inFIG. 3 in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed subjectmatter. In this embodiment, the program code 312 includes an applicationlayer 400, a Layer 3 portion 402, and a Layer 2 portion 404, and iscoupled to a Layer 1 portion 406. The Layer 3 portion 402 may performradio resource control. The Layer 2 portion 404 may perform linkcontrol. The Layer 1 portion 406 may perform and/or implement physicalconnections.

Frame structure may be used in New RAT (NR) for 5G, such as toaccommodate various types of requirements (such as those discussed inR1-1803543) for one or more time and frequency resources (e.g., fromultra-low latency (˜0.5 ms) to delay-tolerant traffic for Machine TypeCommunication (MTC), from high peak rate for enhanced Mobile Broadband(eMBB) to very low data rate for MTC, etc.).

Parts of R1-1803543 with details of NR frame structure, channel andnumerology design are quoted below. Notably, FIG. 4.3.1-1 of section4.3.1 of R1-1803543, entitled “Uplink-downlink timing relation”, isreproduced herein as FIG. 5.

4.3 Frame Structure 4.3.1 Frames and Subframes

Downlink and uplink transmissions are organized into frames withT_(f)=(Δf_(max)N_(f)/100)=10 ms duration, each consisting of tensubframes of T_(sf)=(Δf_(max) N_(f)/1000)·T_(c) ⁼1 ms duration. Thenumber of consecutive OFDM symbols per subframe is N_(symb)^(subframe,μ)=N_(symb) ^(slot)N_(slot) ^(subframe,μ). Each frame isdivided into two equally-sized half-frames of five subframes each withhalf-frame 0 consisting of subframes 0-4 and half-frame 1 consisting ofsubframes 5-9.

There is one set of frames in the uplink and one set of frames in thedownlink on a carrier.

Uplink frame number i for transmission from the UE shall startT_(TA)=(N_(TA)+N_(TA,offset))T_(c) before the start of the correspondingdownlink frame at the UE where N_(TA,offset) depends on the frequencyband according to [38.133].

FIG. 4.3.1-1: Uplink-Downlink Timing Relation

4.3.2 Slots

For subcarrier spacing configuration μ, slots are numbered n_(s)^(μ)∈{0, . . . , N_(slot) ^(subframe,μ)−1} frame, in increasing orderwithin a subframe and n_(s,f) ^(μ)∈{0, . . . , N_(slot) ^(frame,μ)−1} inincreasing order within a frame. There are N_(slot) ^(symb) consecutiveOFDM symbols in a slot where N_(symb) ^(slot) depends on the cyclicprefix as given by Tables 4.3.2-1 and 4.3.2-2. The start of slot n_(s)^(μ) in a subframe is aligned in time with the start of OFDM symboln_(s) ^(μ)N_(symb) ^(slot) in the same subframe.

OFDM symbols in a slot can be classified as ‘downlink’ (denoted ‘D’ inTable 4.3.2-3), ‘flexible’ (denoted ‘X’), or ‘uplink’ (denoted ‘U’).Table 4.3.2-3 is used when the SFI-RNTI is used for slot formatindication as described in clause 11.1.1 of [5, TS 38.213].

In a slot in a downlink frame, the UE shall assume that downlinktransmissions only occur in ‘downlink’ or ‘flexible’ symbols.

In a slot in an uplink frame, the UE shall only transmit in ‘uplink’ or‘flexible’ symbols.

Signaling of slot formats is described in clause 11.1 of [5, TS 38.213].

Power consumption is one major challenge for initial commercial use for5G. Larger bandwidth, shorter latency and/or operation of antenna array(e.g., beam) are some aspects of 5G leading to high power consumption.Therefore, mechanisms to save power are under development in 3GPP.

A power saving signal can be used to configure and/or adapt powerconsumption of a UE. A power saving signal may be associated with one ormore power saving techniques. For example, a power saving signal can beused to turn-on or turn-off one or more power saving techniquesassociated with the power saving signal. If a power saving technique canbe adjusted with a plurality of power consumption levels (e.g., turn-onand turn-off can be considered as a special case of two levels), a powersaving signal associated with the power saving technique can indicatewhich operation (or technique) with which level is to be applied,performed and/or conducted by the UE. In an example, a power savingtechnique may be wake up operation and a power saving signal may be usedto wake up a UE (and/or to indicate to and/or instruct the UE to go tosleep). Another example of power saving technique is cross-slotscheduling. Cross-slot scheduling with different minimum values ofscheduling delay may result in different levels of UE power savingand/or different levels of UE power consumption. In an example, ascheduling delay with minimum value 0 slot could consume the most power,a scheduling delay with minimum value 1 slot could consume medium powerand a scheduling delay with minimum value 2 slot could consume the leastpower. A power saving signal may indicate to the UE a minimum value theUE should apply and/or assume. Power consumption characteristicsassociated with power saving techniques may be applied based on one ormore indications in the power saving signal. Accordingly, powerconsumption of a UE may be adjusted and/or regulated using a powersaving signal. There are several discussions regarding how a powersaving signal could be indicated from a base station to a UE. Forexample, a Downlink Control Information (DCI) (e.g., one DCI) mayindicate a power saving signal for a UE and/or a group of UEs. A DCI(e.g., one DCI) may be divided into several portions and/or fieldswherein a UE could read and apply a corresponding portion and/or fieldof the DCI (associated with the UE). The power saving signal may becarried on a scheduling DCI, with addition of one or more new fieldsand/or modifications of interpretation of one or more existing fields.The power saving signal could be carried on a DCI for power savingpurpose. A UE may read power saving related information from a DCI forpower saving purpose. A UE may not read other information from a DCI forpower saving purpose. More details regarding power saving signal and itscorresponding design could be found in R1#96bis RAN1 Chairman's note andR1#97 RAN1 Chairman's note. Parts of R1#96bis RAN1 Chairman's notecomprising details regarding power saving signal and/or itscorresponding design are quoted below:

Agreements:

-   -   The PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel is UE-specifically        configured.    -   The DCI format(s) contain information for (including potential        down-selection, which may or may not depend on power saving        techniques/scenarios):        -   Alt 1: triggering a single UE only        -   Alt 2: triggering UE(s) within a group            -   FFS whether to always trigger all UEs in a group or a                subset of it        -   Alt 3: Alt 1 & Alt 2

Agreements:

The assumptions of the DCI design of the PDCCH-based power savingsignal/channel include:

-   -   No increase of DCI format size budget        -   FFS whether or not the same or different sets of DCI format            sizes for Active time vs. out of Active time    -   Working assumption: no increase of UE BD/non-overlapping CCE        limit

Agreements:

Possible candidates of DCI format design for the PDCCH-based powersaving signal/channel (including potential down-selection, which may ormay not depend on power saving techniques/scenarios):

-   -   New DCI format(s)        -   The size of new DCI format may or may not be the same size            as the existing DCI size    -   Enhancement of existing DCI. E.g.:        -   Additional new field(s)        -   Using the existing DCI format for the power saving purpose            -   Re-purpose field(s) in the DCI            -   The detection of existing DCI format as the indication                for the power saving technique

Agreements:

The DCI format(s) of the PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel isdesigned to provide:

-   -   Indication of one or more power saving associated operations.    -   Supporting configurability (e.g., 0, 1, 2, . . . bits, etc.), if        needed, for one or more information fields in the DCI at least        for one DCI format

Agreements:

Potential DCI contents in DCI format(s), to be further investigated:

-   -   Power saving technique associated with C-DRX—        -   Essential for UE function for the C-DRX            -   Wakeup—                -   UE is indicated to transition from outside Active                    Time to Active Time                -   UE is indicated to stay at Active Time            -   Go to sleep—                -   UE is indicated to transition from Active Time to                    outside Active Time.                -   UE is indicated to stay outside Active Time            -   FFS: The time of receiving the wakeup and go-to-sleep                indication inside or outside Active Time.    -   Cross-slot scheduling    -   Triggering RS transmission    -   CSI report    -   Single vs. multi-cell operation    -   BWP/SCell        -   BWP & SCell together        -   BWP and SCell have separated fields    -   MIMO layer adaptation/number of Anenna adaptation        -   May further depend on RAN4's work    -   Indication of CORESET/search space/candidate of subsequent PDCCH        decoding    -   PDCCH monitoring periodicity    -   PDCCH skipping (skipping duration)—        -   PDCCH skipping—UE is indicated to skip number of the PDCCH            monitoring occasions and stays in the Active Time    -   Skipping number of DRX monitoring    -   SPS activation    -   DRX configuration

Agreements:

-   -   The design of the DCI format(s) and size needs to account for        one or more of the following aspects        -   Within or outside Active Time        -   DCI format size for the power saving signal/channel to fit            the DCI format size budget    -   Including aspects whether or not it is necessary to align it        with existing DCI format size

Agreements:

-   -   Support at least one CORESET with configured search space(s) for        the power saving signal/channel        -   FFS separate vs. shared with a CORESET (and/or search            space(s)) configured for other purposes (when applicable)

Agreements:

-   -   For PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel,        -   The set of AL(s) is configured        -   The number of PDCCH candidate(s) for each AL is configured

Parts of R1#97 RAN1 Chairman's note comprising details regarding powersaving signal and/or its corresponding design is quoted below:

Agreements:

The monitoring occasion(s) of the power saving signal/channel outsidethe Active Time is “indicated” to the UE by the gNB with an offsetbefore the DRX ON

-   -   “Indicated” implies the explicit signalling by higher layer        signalling or implicit through the CORESET/search space    -   FFS: The value and the range of offset

Agreements:

For power saving signal/channel configured outside Active Time,introduce a new DCI format for a UE, where the UE is configured tomonitor the DCI format, with the power saving information for the UE inthe DCI configurable by RRC

-   -   FFS whether the DCI is in UESS or CSS or both    -   FFS detailed configuration of the power saving information    -   FFS the new DCI format    -   Note: the same DCI may carry power saving information for one or        more UEs

Agreements:

The indication of at least one power saving technique(s) is supported atleast by the enhancement of existing scheduling DCI formats withadditional field(s), if any, and/or repurposing the existing field(s),if identified, when UE is in the Active Time.

-   -   It applies to UE-specific search space.        -   It is FFS for the common search space.    -   The at least one power saving technique(s) includes at least        “Cross-slot scheduling”    -   FFS: Which existing DCI formats includes the power saving        information        -   Whether power saving information is not included in the            fallback DCI(s) (e.g., DCI format 0_0, DCI format 1_0)        -   Use of non-scheduling DCI formats.    -   It is FFS which field(s) is used to be repurposed for the        indication of the power saving technique if the repurpose of        existing field(s) is used.    -   FFS: New DCI format with size aligned with existing DCI format

Agreements:

A new RNTI (e.g., PS-RNTI) is introduced for the PDCCH-based powersaving signal/channel decoding at least outside Active Time,UE-specifically configured

-   -   FFS how to use the PS-RNTI for scrambling of the PDCCH-based        power saving signal/channel

Agreements:

Support UE-specific configuration of the search space set(s) dedicatedto the PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel for UE to monitor outsideActive Time

-   -   Following the principle of Rel-15 search space configuration    -   FFS: the corresponding UE behaviour in monitoring the power        saving signal/channel outside

Active Time

-   -   FFS whether UE can further monitor the search space set(s)        inside Active Time

Agreements:

-   -   The CORESET for the PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel        outside Active Time can be configured to index to at least one        of the CORESET(S) configured for other PDCCH monitoring        -   FFS whether the indexed CORESET can be exclusively used by            the PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel (i.e., not be            used for other PDCCH monitoring)        -   FFS whether or not to increase the number of CORESETs            relative to that in Rel-15        -   FFS whether or not a BWP is dedicated for PDCCH-based power            saving signal/channel

Agreements:

One or more PDCCH monitoring occasion of PDCCH-based power savingsignal/channel is supported outside Active Time

-   -   FFS: Whether the monitoring occasions of the PDCCH-based power        saving signal/channel in the same slot or not for multiple        monitoring occasions    -   FFS: whether the monitoring occasions are via search space        set(s), CORESET(s), a combination thereof, etc.

Agreements:

-   -   For outside Active Time, up to [3] CORESETs per BWP is supported        for the power saving signal/channel outside Active Time with        each CORESET associated with its TCI state and QCL assumption        -   FFS details        -   FFS whether any other additional handling is necessary for            FR2 w.r.t. TCI state, and if so, how

Agreements:

Outside Active Time, the PDCCH-based power saving signal/channel isconfigured for triggering UE to or not to monitor the subsequent ONduration(s)

-   -   FFS a single vs. multiple durations, particularly checking        consistency with RAN2 agreements Further study in the new DCI        how to potentially indicate at least the following techniques        (subject to further WID update):    -   Indicating UE to use the aperiodic RS        -   Aperiodic CSI-RS        -   Aperiodic SRS        -   TRS    -   Triggering aperiodic CSI report    -   Cross-slot scheduling    -   Rel-15 DCI-based BWP switching

The power saving techniques can be explicitly included in the DCIcontents or implicitly indicated by other techniques (e.g., BWPswitching).

To reduce power consumption, Discontinuous Reception (DRX), and/orConnected mode-DRX (C-DRX) are introduced to avoid continuous reception,such as in association with Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)(e.g., unicast and/or UE-specific PDCCH), which could be used forscheduling uplink and/or downlink data traffic for the UE. Under theframework of DRX, Active Time may be defined and/or counted by a UE. AUE may be required and/or configured to monitor PDCCH during ActiveTime. Outside Active Time, such as during in-active time and/ornon-active time, a UE may not monitor PDCCH so that power could besaved. Several timers and/or procedures are developed, which allow UE todetermine and/or realize when Active Time is, (e.g., for variouspurposes such as at least one of initial traffic, bursty traffic,retransmission, random access, receiving an uplink grant, etc. Moredetails of DRX may be found in the following quotation from 3GPP TS38.321 V15.6.0:

5.7 Discontinuous Reception (DRX)

The MAC entity may be configured by RRC with a DRX functionality thatcontrols the UE's PDCCH monitoring activity for the MAC entity's C-RNTI,CS-RNTI, INT-RNTI, SFI-RNTI, SP-CSI-RNTI, TPC-PUCCH-RNTI,TPC-PUSCH-RNTI, and TPC-SRS-RNTI. When using DRX operation, the MACentity shall also monitor PDCCH according to requirements found in otherclauses of this specification. When in RRC_CONNECTED, if DRX isconfigured, for all the activated Serving Cells, the MAC entity maymonitor the PDCCH discontinuously using the DRX operation specified inthis clause; otherwise the MAC entity shall monitor the PDCCH asspecified in TS 38.213 [6].

RRC controls DRX operation by configuring the following parameters:

-   -   drx-onDurationTimer: the duration at the beginning of a DRX        Cycle;    -   drx-SlotOffset: the delay before starting the        drx-onDurationTimer;    -   drx-InactivityTimer: the duration after the PDCCH occasion in        which a PDCCH indicates a new UL or DL transmission for the MAC        entity;    -   drx-RetransmissionTimerDL (per DL HARQ process except for the        broadcast process): the maximum duration until a DL        retransmission is received;    -   drx-RetransmissionTimerUL (per UL HARQ process): the maximum        duration until a grant for UL retransmission is received;    -   drx-LongCycleStartOffset: the Long DRX cycle and drx-StartOffset        which defines the subframe where the Long and Short DRX Cycle        starts;    -   drx-ShortCycle (optional): the Short DRX cycle;    -   drx-ShortCycleTimer (optional): the duration the UE shall follow        the Short DRX cycle;    -   drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL (per DL HARQ process except for the        broadcast process): the minimum duration before a DL assignment        for HARQ retransmission is expected by the MAC entity;    -   drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL (per UL HARQ process): the minimum duration        before a UL HARQ retransmission grant is expected by the MAC        entity.

When a DRX cycle is configured, the Active Time includes the time while:

-   -   drx-onDurationTimer or drx-Inactivity Timer or        drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or        ra-ContentionResolutionTimer (as described in clause 5.1.5) is        running; or    -   a Scheduling Request is sent on PUCCH and is pending (as        described in clause 5.4.4); or    -   a PDCCH indicating a new transmission addressed to the C-RNTI of        the MAC entity has not been received after successful reception        of a Random Access Response for the Random Access Preamble not        selected by the MAC entity among the contention-based Random        Access Preamble (as described in clause 5.1.4).

When DRX is configured, the MAC entity shall:

-   -   1> if a MAC PDU is received in a configured downlink assignment:        -   2> start the drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL for the corresponding HARQ            process in the first symbol after the end of the            corresponding transmission carrying the DL HARQ feedback;        -   2> stop the drx-RetransmissionTimerDL for the corresponding            HARQ process.    -   1> if a MAC PDU is transmitted in a configured uplink grant:        -   2> start the drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL for the corresponding HARQ            process in the first symbol after the end of the first            repetition of the corresponding PUSCH transmission;        -   2> stop the drx-RetransmissionTimerUL for the corresponding            HARQ process.    -   1> if a drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL expires:        -   2> if the data of the corresponding HARQ process was not            successfully decoded:            -   3> start the drx-RetransmissionTimerDL for the                corresponding HARQ process in the first symbol after the                expiry of drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL.    -   1> if a drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL expires:        -   2> start the drx-RetransmissionTimerUL for the corresponding            HARQ process in the first symbol after the expiry of            drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL.    -   1> if a DRX Command MAC CE or a Long DRX Command MAC CE is        received:        -   2> stop drx-onDurationTimer;        -   2> stop drx-InactivityTimer.    -   1> if drx-InactivityTimer expires or a DRX Command MAC CE is        received:        -   2> if the Short DRX cycle is configured:            -   3> start or restart drx-ShortCycleTimer in the first                symbol after the expiry of drx-InactivityTimer or in the                first symbol after the end of DRX Command MAC CE                reception;            -   3> use the Short DRX Cycle.        -   2> else:            -   3> use the Long DRX cycle.    -   1> if drx-ShortCycleTimer expires:        -   2> use the Long DRX cycle.    -   1> if a Long DRX Command MAC CE is received:        -   2> stop drx-ShortCycleTimer;        -   2> use the Long DRX cycle.    -   1> if the Short DRX Cycle is used, and [(SFN×10)+subframe        number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset) modulo        (drx-ShortCycle); or    -   1> if the Long DRX Cycle is used, and [(SFN×10)+subframe number]        modulo (drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset:        -   2> start drx-onDurationTimer after drx-SlotOffset from the            beginning of the subframe.    -   1> if the MAC entity is in Active Time:        -   2> monitor the PDCCH as specified in TS 38.213 [6];        -   2> if the PDCCH indicates a DL transmission:            -   3> start the drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL for the corresponding                HARQ process in the first symbol after the end of the                corresponding transmission carrying the DL HARQ                feedback;            -   3> stop the drx-RetransmissionTimerDL for the                corresponding HARQ process.        -   2> if the PDCCH indicates a UL transmission:            -   3> start the drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL for the corresponding                HARQ process in the first symbol after the end of the                first repetition of the corresponding PUSCH                transmission;            -   3> stop the drx-RetransmissionTimerUL for the                corresponding HARQ process.        -   2> if the PDCCH indicates a new transmission (DL or UL):            -   3> start or restart drx-Inactivity Timer in the first                symbol after the end of the PDCCH reception.    -   1> in current symbol n, if the MAC entity would not be in Active        Time considering grants/assignments/DRX Command MAC CE/Long DRX        Command MAC CE received and Scheduling Request sent until 4 ms        prior to symbol n when evaluating all DRX Active Time conditions        as specified in this clause:        -   2> not transmit periodic SRS and semi-persistent SRS defined            in TS 38.214 [7].    -   1> if CSI masking (csi-Mask) is setup by upper layers:        -   2> in current symbol n, if drx-onDurationTimer would not be            running considering grants/assignments/DRX Command MAC            CE/Long DRX Command MAC CE received until 4 ms prior to            symbol n when evaluating all DRX Active Time conditions as            specified in this clause:            -   3> not report CSI on PUCCH.    -   1> else:        -   2> in current symbol n, if the MAC entity would not be in            Active Time considering grants/assignments/DRX Command MAC            CE/Long DRX Command MAC CE received and Scheduling Request            sent until 4 ms prior to symbol n when evaluating all DRX            Active Time conditions as specified in this clause:            -   3> not report CSI on PUCCH and semi-persistent CSI on                PUSCH.

Regardless of whether the MAC entity is monitoring PDCCH or not, the MACentity transmits HARQ feedback, aperiodic CSI on PUSCH, and aperiodicSRS defined in TS 38.214 [7] when such is expected. The MAC entity needsnot to monitor the PDCCH if it is not a complete PDCCH occasion (e.g.the Active Time starts or ends in the middle of a PDCCH occasion).

< . . . >

5.4.1 UL Grant Reception

Uplink grant is either received dynamically on the PDCCH, in a RandomAccess Response, or configured semi-persistently by RRC. The MAC entityshall have an uplink grant to transmit on the UL-SCH. To perform therequested transmissions, the MAC layer receives HARQ information fromlower layers.

If the MAC entity has a C-RNTI, a Temporary C-RNTI, or CS-RNTI, the MACentity shall for each PDCCH occasion and for each Serving Cell belongingto a TAG that has a running timeAlignmentTimer and for each grantreceived for this PDCCH occasion:

-   -   1> if an uplink grant for this Serving Cell has been received on        the PDCCH for the MAC entity's C-RNTI or Temporary C-RNTI; or    -   1> if an uplink grant has been received in a Random Access        Response:    -   1> else if an uplink grant for this PDCCH occasion has been        received for this Serving Cell on the PDCCH for the MAC entity's        CS-RNTI:

When a UE has uplink data arrival, the UE may try to request an uplinkgrant. A UE may send a scheduling request (SR) to a base station. Thescheduling request may be sent via a physical uplink control channel(PUCCH) and/or via a random access procedure. Responsive to thescheduling request, the base station may send an uplink grant to the UE.The UE may send a buffer status report (BSR) to the base station withthe uplink grant. The buffer status report may inform the base stationof an amount of uplink data to be transmitted. For example, the UE maysend a buffer status report if there is still uplink data left whichcould not be accommodated in the uplink grant. The base station maydetermine and/or realize how to schedule uplink data with the assistanceof a buffer status report. More details could be found in the followingquotation from 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.6.0:

5.4.4 Scheduling Request

The Scheduling Request (SR) is used for requesting UL-SCH resources fornew transmission.

The MAC entity may be configured with zero, one, or more SRconfigurations. An SR configuration consists of a set of PUCCH resourcesfor SR across different BWPs and cells. For a logical channel, at mostone PUCCH resource for SR is configured per BWP.

. . .

Only PUCCH resources on a BWP which is active at the time of SRtransmission occasion are considered valid.

As long as at least one SR is pending, the MAC entity shall for eachpending SR:

-   -   1> if the MAC entity has no valid PUCCH resource configured for        the pending SR:        -   2> initiate a Random Access procedure (see subclause 5.1) on            the SpCell and cancel the pending SR.    -   1> else, for the SR configuration corresponding to the pending        SR:        -   . . .        -   4> instruct the physical layer to signal the SR on one valid            PUCCH resource for SR;

5.4.5 Buffer Status Reporting

The Buffer Status reporting (BSR) procedure is used to provide theserving gNB with information about UL data volume in the MAC entity.

The MAC entity determines the amount of UL data available for a logicalchannel according to the data volume calculation procedure in TSs 38.322[3] and 38.323 [4].

A BSR shall be triggered if any of the following events occur:

-   -   UL data, for a logical channel which belongs to an LCG, becomes        available to the MAC entity; and either        -   this UL data belongs to a logical channel with higher            priority than the priority of any logical channel containing            available UL data which belong to any LCG; or        -   none of the logical channels which belong to an LCG contains            any available UL data.    -   in which case the BSR is referred below to as ‘Regular BSR’;

A random access procedure may be triggered and/or initiated due toseveral causes (e.g., at least one of handover, beam failure, uplinkdata arrival, system information (SI) request, connection(re-)establishment, PDCCH order (e.g., DL data arrival), etc.). Some ofthem, e.g., handover and/or PDCCH, may be initiated by a base station.Some of them, e.g., beam failure, uplink data arrival, systeminformation (SI) request, connection (re-)establishment, etc. may beinitiated by a UE. The random access procedure may be categorized intotwo types: contention based and non-contention based. A contention basedrandom access procedure involves four steps (Msg1˜Msg4). Msg1 ofcontention based random access procedure is selected from a group ofpreambles shared by a plurality of UEs, so Msg3 with UE identityinformation is required to identify the UE and a contention resolution(Msg4) is used to complete the random access procedure. A non-contentionbased random access procedure involves two steps (Msg1˜Msg2) (e.g.,there could be another step Msg 0 to initiate the procedure). Msg1 ofnon-contention based random access procedure is dedicated to a UE in oneor more allocated Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resources.Thus, Msg1 in a non-contention based random access procedure may besufficient to identify a UE and a Msg2 may be used to complete thenon-contention based random access procedure. More details of randomaccess procedure are quoted from 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.6.0:

5.1 Random Access Procedure

. . .

5.1.3 Random Access Preamble Transmission

The MAC entity shall, for each Random Access Preamble:

-   -   . . .    -   1> instruct the physical layer to transmit the Random Access        Preamble using the selected PRACH occasion, corresponding        RA-RNTI (if available), PREAMBLE_INDEX and        PREAMBLE_RECEIVED_TARGET POWER.

5.1.4 Random Access Response Reception

Once the Random Access Preamble is transmitted and regardless of thepossible occurrence of a measurement gap, the MAC entity shall:

-   -   . . .    -   4> if the Random Access Preamble was not selected by the MAC        entity among the contention-based Random Access Preamble(s):        -   5> consider the Random Access procedure successfully            completed.    -   4> else:        -   5> set the TEMPORARY C-RNTI to the value received in the            Random Access Response;        -   5> if this is the first successfully received Random Access            Response within this Random Access procedure:            -   6> if the transmission is not being made for the CCCH                logical channel:                -   7> indicate to the Multiplexing and assembly entity                    to include a C-RNTI MAC CE in the subsequent uplink                    transmission.            -   6> obtain the MAC PDU to transmit from the Multiplexing                and assembly entity and store it in the Msg3 buffer.    -   . . .

5.1.5 Contention Resolution

Once Msg3 is transmitted, the MAC entity shall:

-   -   1> start the ra-ContentionResolutionTimer and restart the        ra-ContentionResolutionTimer at each HARQ retransmission in the        first symbol after the end of the Msg3 transmission;    -   1> monitor the PDCCH while the ra-ContentionResolutionTimer is        running regardless of the possible occurrence of a measurement        gap;

A Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is used to carry downlinkphysical control information. Physical control information may compriseseveral types (e.g., scheduling information, a command from a basestation, slot format related information, etc. A UE may not be able topredict whether there is a PDCCH (e.g., a PDCCH for scheduling data)from a base station to the UE. Therefore, the UE may have to monitorPDCCH in some occasions (e.g., monitoring occasions) indicated by thebase station. For example, a UE may try to decode a plurality of PDCCHcandidates. PDCCH in a slot may or may not comprise a PDCCH for the UE.This is known as PDCCH blind decoding. UE blindly decodes and/or checksa plurality of resources with a plurality of DCI formats. Once PDCCH forthe UE is detected, the UE may take corresponding action accordingly(e.g., perform data-related processing if the detected PDCCH carryingscheduling information). To perform such blind decoding or searching,the number of candidates and/or the type of candidates that could bedecoded by a UE within a duration may be subject to some constraints(e.g., a UE capability of the UE). For example, a number of PDCCHcandidates that may be decoded by a UE in a slot is limited. Thelimitation could depend on a numerology and/or a subcarrier spacing.Slot length itself may depend on numerology and/or subcarrier spacing. Anumber of non-overlapping Control Channel Elements (CCE) may also belimited since the number of non-overlapping CCEs corresponds to a numberof channel estimations to be performed by a UE. The number of channelestimations to be performed in one slot could be proportional to a UE'scomplexity. Another example of limitation is a number of DCI sizes to bedecoded in one slot. If the number of DCI sizes to be decoded in oneslot exceeds a certain threshold, the UE may align sizes of differentDCI formats to fit within such limitation. A number of control resourceset (CORESET) and/or a number of search space in a given bandwidth part(BWP) are limited, e.g. 3 CORESETs per BWP and 10 search spaces or 10search space sets per BWP. More details of PDCCH monitoring are quotedbelow from 3GPP TS 38.213 V15.6.0:

10 UE Procedure for Receiving Control Information

A UE monitors a set of PDCCH candidates in one or more CORESETs on theactive DL BWP on each activated serving cell configured with PDCCHmonitoring according to corresponding search space sets where monitoringimplies decoding each PDCCH candidate according to the monitored DCIformats.

. . .

10.1 UE Procedure for Determining Physical Downlink Control ChannelAssignment

A set of PDCCH candidates for a UE to monitor is defined in terms ofPDCCH search space sets. A search space set can be a CSS set or a USSset. A UE monitors PDCCH candidates in one or more of the followingsearch spaces sets

-   -   a Type0-PDCCH CSS set configured by pdcch-ConfigSIB1 in MIB or        by searchSpaceSIB1 in PDCCH-ConfigCommon or by searchSpaceZero        in PDCCH-ConfigCommon for a DCI format with CRC scrambled by a        SI-RNTI on the primary cell of the MCG    -   a Type0A-PDCCH CSS set configured by        searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation in PDCCH-ConfigCommon for a        DCI format with CRC scrambled by a SI-RNTI on the primary cell        of the MCG    -   a Type1-PDCCH CSS set configured by ra-SearchSpace in        PDCCH-ConfigCommon for a DCI format with CRC scrambled by a        RA-RNTI or a TC-RNTI on the primary cell    -   a Type2-PDCCH CSS set configured by pagingSearchSpace in        PDCCH-ConfigCommon for a DCI format with CRC scrambled by a        P-RNTI on the primary cell of the MCG    -   a Type3-PDCCH CSS set configured by SearchSpace in PDCCH-Config        with searchSpaceType=common for DCI formats with CRC scrambled        by INT-RNTI, SFI-RNTI, TPC-PUSCH-RNTI, TPC-PUCCH-RNTI, or        TPC-SRS-RNTI and, only for the primary cell, C-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI,        or CS-RNTI(s), and    -   a USS set configured by SearchSpace in PDCCH-Config with        searchSpaceType=ue-Specific for DCI formats with CRC scrambled        by C-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI, SP-CSI-RNTI, or CS-RNTI(s).        . . .

For each DL BWP configured to a UE in a serving cell, a UE can beprovided by higher layer signalling with P≤3 CORESETs. For each CORESET,the UE is provided the following by ControlResourceSet:

-   -   a CORESET index p, 0≤p<12, by controlResourceSetId;    -   a DM-RS scrambling sequence initialization value by        pdcch-DMRS-ScramblingID;    -   a precoder granularity for a number of REGs in the frequency        domain where the UE can assume use of a same DM-RS precoder by        precoderGranularity;    -   a number of consecutive symbols provided by duration;    -   a set of resource blocks provided by frequencyDomainResources;    -   CCE-to-REG mapping parameters provided by cce-REG-MappingType;    -   an antenna port quasi co-location, from a set of antenna port        quasi co-locations provided by TCI-State, indicating quasi        co-location information of the DM-RS antenna port for PDCCH        reception in a respective CORESET;    -   an indication for a presence or absence of a transmission        configuration indication (TCI) field for DCI format 1_1        transmitted by a PDCCH in CORESET p, by TCI-PresentInDCI.        . . .

For each DL BWP configured to a UE in a serving cell, the UE is providedby higher layers with S≤10 search space sets where, for each searchspace set from the S search space sets, the UE is provided the followingby SearchSpace:

-   -   a search space set index s, 0≤s<40, by searchSpaceId    -   an association between the search space set s and a CORESET p by        controlResourceSetId    -   a PDCCH monitoring periodicity of k_(s) slots and a PDCCH        monitoring offset of o_(s) slots, by        monitoringSlotPeriodiciyAndOffset    -   a PDCCH monitoring pattern within a slot, indicating first        symbol(s) of the CORESET within a slot for PDCCH monitoring, by        monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot    -   a duration of T_(s)<k_(s) slots indicating a number of slots        that the search space set s exists by duration    -   a number of PDCCH candidates N_(s) ^((L)) per CCE aggregation        level L by aggregationLevel1, aggregationLevel2,        aggregationLevel4, aggregationLevel8, and aggregationLevel16,        for CCE aggregation level 1, CCE aggregation level 2, CCE        aggregation level 4, CCE aggregation level 8, and CCE        aggregation level 16, respectively    -   an indication that search space set s is either a CSS set or a        USS set by searchSpaceType    -   . . .    -   if search space set s is a USS set, an indication by dci-Formats        to monitor PDCCH candidates either for DCI format 0_0 and DCI        format 1_0, or for DCI format 0_1 and DCI format 1_1        . . .

A UE determines a PDCCH monitoring occasion on an active DL BWP from thePDCCH monitoring periodicity, the PDCCH monitoring offset, and the PDCCHmonitoring pattern within a slot. For search space set s, the UEdetermines that a PDCCH monitoring occasion(s) exists in a slot withnumber n_(s,f) ^(μ) [4, TS 38.211] in a frame with number n_(f) if(n_(f)·N_(slot) ^(frame,μ)+n_(s,f) ^(μ)−o_(s))mod k_(s)=0. The UEmonitors PDCCH candidates for search space set s for T_(s) consecutiveslots, starting from slot n_(s,f) ^(μ), and does not monitor PDCCHcandidates for search space set s for the next k_(s)−T_(s) consecutiveslots.

. . .

For a search space set s associated with CORESET p, the CCE indexes foraggregation level L corresponding to PDCCH candidate m_(s,n) _(CI) ofthe search space set in slot n_(s,f) ^(μ) for an active DL BWP of aserving cell corresponding to carrier indicator field value n_(CI) aregiven by

${L \cdot \left\{ {\left( {Y_{p,n_{s,f}^{\mu}} + \left\lfloor \frac{m_{s,n_{CI}} \cdot N_{{CCE},p}}{L \cdot M_{s,{{ma}\; x}}^{(L)}} \right\rfloor + n_{CI}} \right){mod}\left\lfloor {N_{{CCE},p}/L} \right\rfloor} \right\}} + {i\mspace{14mu} \ldots}$

A UE expects to monitor PDCCH candidates for up to 4 sizes of DCIformats that include up to 3 sizes of DCI formats with CRC scrambled byC-RNTI per serving cell. The UE counts a number of sizes for DCI formatsper serving cell based on a number of configured PDCCH candidates inrespective search space sets for the corresponding active DL BWP.

A PDCCH candidate with index n_(s) _(j) _(,n) _(CI) for a search spaceset s_(j) using a set of CCEs in a CORESET p on the active DL BWP forserving cell n_(CI) is not counted for monitoring if there is a PDCCHcandidate with index m_(s) _(i) _(,n) _(CI) for a search space sets_(i)<s_(j), or if there is a PDCCH candidate with index n_(s) _(j)_(,n) _(CI) and n_(s) _(j) _(,n) _(CI) <m_(s) _(j) _(,n) _(CI) , in theCORESET p on the active DL BWP for serving cell n_(CI) using a same setof CCEs, the PDCCH candidates have identical scrambling, and thecorresponding DCI formats for the PDCCH candidates have a same size;otherwise, the PDCCH candidate with index n_(s) _(j) _(,n) _(CI) iscounted for monitoring.

. . .

Table 10.1-3 provides the maximum number of non overlapped CCEs,C_(PDCCH) ^(max,slot,μ) for a DL BWP with SCS configuration μ that a UEis expected to monitor corresponding PDCCH candidates per slot foroperation with a single serving cell.

CCEs for PDCCH candidates are non-overlapped if they correspond to

-   -   different CORESET indexes, or    -   different first symbols for the reception of the respective        PDCCH candidates.        . . .

For each scheduled cell, the UE is not required to monitor on the activeDL BWP with SCS configuration μ of the scheduling cell more thanmin(M_(PDCCH) ^(max,slot,μ), M_(PDCCH) ^(total,slot,μ)) PDCCH candidatesor more than min(C_(PDCCH) ^(max,slot,μ),C_(PDCCH) ^(total,slot,μ))non-overlapped CCEs per slot.

A UE does not expect to be configured CSS sets that result tocorresponding total, or per scheduled cell, numbers of monitored PDCCHcandidates and non-overlapped CCEs per slot that exceed thecorresponding maximum numbers per slot.

. . .

For the CSS sets, a UE monitors

$M_{PDCCH}^{CSS} = {\sum\limits_{i = 0}^{I_{css} - 1}{\sum\limits_{L}M_{S_{scc}{(i)}}^{(L)}}}$

PDCCH candidates requiring a total of C_(PDCCH) ^(CSS) non-overlappingCCEs in a slot.

The UE allocates PDCCH candidates for monitoring to USS sets for theprimary cell having an active DL BWP with SCS configuration μ in slot naccording to the following pseudocode. A UE does not expect to monitorPDCCH in a USS set without allocated PDCCH candidates for monitoring.

As mentioned in the foregoing description, a UE may monitor a powersaving signal before a DRX ON duration. There may be an offset, signaledto the UE, indicating one or more monitoring occasions for the powersaving signal. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary scenario 600 associatedwith the one or more monitoring occasions (shown with reference number604) for the power saving signal (shown with reference number 602). Insome embodiments, the power saving signal 602 may be transmitted and/orreceived at a monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoringoccasions 604. The UE may monitor the power saving signal 602 at the oneor more monitoring occasions 604 (e.g., the UE may detect and/or receivethe power saving signal 602 while monitoring for the power saving signal602 during a monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions604). There may be an offset 606 between the one or more monitoringoccasions and the DRX ON duration (shown with reference number 608).

In some embodiments, the power saving signal may be carried on PhysicalDownlink Control Channel (PDCCH) (e.g., with a new format and/or a newRadio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI)). In some embodiments, thepower saving signal is for a group of UEs (e.g., multiple UEs comprisingthe UE). The power saving signal may be carried on a group common PDCCH.In some embodiments, the PDCCH (e.g., the group common PDCCH) is not ascheduling Downlink Control Information (DCI). The PDCCH may bemonitored in a specific search space and/or a specific Control Resourceset (CORESET) and/or one or more separate search spaces and/or one ormore separate CORESETs. However, Active Time may span across at leastsome of the one or more monitoring occasions for the power savingsignal. In an example, the Active Time may be initiated due to uplinkdata arrival. In some embodiments, the Active Time comprises one or moretimes when a scheduling request is sent on Physical Uplink ControlChannel (PUCCH) and/or when waiting for a contention resolution afterreceiving a Random Access Response (RAR). The Active Time may cover atleast some of the one or more monitoring occasions of the power savingsignal that indicates the offset to the DRX ON duration.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary scenario 700 associated with the one ormore monitoring occasions 604 for the power saving signal 602. In theexemplary scenario 700, the one or more monitoring occasions 604 may bewithin the Active Time (shown with reference number 702) associated withthe UE (e.g., the Active Time 702 may cover and/or span across the oneor more monitoring occasions 604).

In a scenario in which the Active Time spans across the one or moremonitoring occasions for the power saving signal (such as the exemplaryscenario 700), the UE may need to resolve a conflict between monitoringPDCCH for the power saving signal and monitoring PDCCH with other types(e.g., monitoring PDCCH for other types of signals and/or informationother than the power saving signal, such as a scheduling DCI).Alternatively and/or additionally, if the Active Time is due to ascheduling request or contention based random access (e.g., if theActive Time is initiated due to the scheduling request and/or thecontention based random access), a base station may not be aware of theActive Time (e.g., the base station may not be aware of the Active Timeof the UE during at least some of the Active Time, such as in thebeginning of the Active time during which the base station does notreceive a scheduling request). Accordingly, the base station may notdetermine and/or realize the conflict of the UE (e.g., the conflictbetween monitoring PDCCH for the power saving signal and monitoringPDCCH for other types of signals and/or information other than the powersaving signal). The base station may not be able to resolve the conflict(such as due to the base station not determining and/or realizing theconflict). In some embodiments, the conflict may arise as a result ofmonitoring PDCCH for the power saving signal and monitoring PDCCH forother types of signals and/or information exceeding a UE capability ofthe UE (e.g., a UE capability for PDCCH monitoring). For example, the UEmay not be able to perform both monitoring PDCCH for the power savingsignal and monitoring PDCCH for the other types of signals and/orinformation. For example, a total quantity of PDCCH candidates in a slotfor both the power saving signal and one or more other types of PDCCH(e.g., a scheduling DCI and/or one or more other types of PDCCH) mayexceed a quantity of PDCCH candidates that can be monitored by the UE(e.g., the UE capability of the UE may correspond to the quantity ofPDCCH candidates that can be monitored by the UE). Alternatively and/oradditionally, a total quantity of non-overlapped Control ChannelElements (CCE) in a slot for both the power saving signal and the one ormore other types of PDCCH may exceed a maximum value of non-overlappedCCEs (such as corresponding to the UE capability of the UE).Alternatively and/or additionally, a total quantity of DCI format sizesin a slot for both the power saving signal and the one or more othertypes of PDCCH may exceed a maximum value of DCI format sizes (such ascorresponding to the UE capability of the UE). Alternatively and/oradditionally, Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) states orbeams for both the power saving signal and the one or more other typesof PDCCH may not be monitored simultaneously and/or concurrently (e.g.,the UE may not be capable of monitoring (and/or configured to monitor)TCI states or beams for both the power saving signal and the one or moreother types of PDCCH simultaneously and/or concurrently). Alternativelyand/or additionally, a total quantity of CORESETs to be monitored forboth the power saving signal and the one or more other types of PDCCHmay exceed a maximum value of CORESETs (such as corresponding to the UEcapability of the UE). Alternatively and/or additionally, a totalquantity of search spaces to be monitored for both the power savingsignal and the one or more other types of PDCCH may exceed a maximumvalue of search spaces (such as corresponding to the UE capability ofthe UE). Alternatively and/or additionally, overlapping and/or conflictbetween Active Time and at least some of the one or more monitoringoccasions for the power saving signal corresponds to continuous datatraffic. In some embodiments where there is continuous data traffic froma last DRX ON duration (e.g., a previous and/or most recent DRX ONduration), one or more DRX timers (e.g., at least one of DRX inactivitytimer, DRX retransmission timer, etc.) may be running such that there isActive Time for the UE after the last DRX ON duration. The Active Timemay cover and/or span across at least some of the one or more monitoringoccasions of the power saving signal (e.g., the power saving signalindicating the offset to a DRX ON duration, such as a next DRX ONduration). In some embodiments, a difference between continuous datatraffic (and/or contiguous data traffic) and uplink data arrival is thatthe base station may realize and/or determine that there is continuousdata traffic (and/or contiguous data traffic) (e.g., whereas the basestation may not be able to realize and/or determine that there is uplinkdata arrival and/or Active Time of the UE due to uplink data arrival).Accordingly, a base station may resolve a conflict associated with oneor more monitoring occasions for the power saving signal and/or ActiveTime that is due to continuous data traffic (and/or contiguous datatraffic).

A first general concept of the present disclosure is that a UE may notmonitor a PDCCH for a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions if the one or more monitoring occasions are within ActiveTime. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may skip monitoring aPDCCH for the power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions ifthe one or more monitoring occasions are within Active Time.

A second general concept of the present disclosure is that a UE maybehave as if one or more specific values in one or more fields areindicated by a power saving signal if the UE skips monitoring for thepower saving signal. The UE may not detect and/or receive the powersaving signal. The UE may use one or more default values and/or one ormore default assumptions corresponding to one or more power consumptioncharacteristics (and/or one or more power saving techniques) indicatedby the power saving signal. In an example where a power saving signalindicates one or more values corresponding to one or more powerconsumption characteristics (and/or one or more power saving techniques,one or more configurations and/or one or more operations), such aswhether the UE should wake up, the one or more specific values, the oneor more default values and/or the one or more default assumptionscorrespond to one or more assumed power consumption characteristics(and/or one or more assumed power saving techniques and/or one or moreother assumed operations), such as that the UE should wake up (or the UEshould not wake up). In an example where the one or more specificvalues, the one or more default values and/or the one or more defaultassumptions indicate that the UE should wake up, the UE may wake up ifthe UE skips monitoring a power saving signal that indicates to (and/orinstructs) the UE to wake up or not to wake up. One or more criteria maybe used to determine the one or more specific values, the one or moredefault values and/or the one or more default assumptions (and/or toselect the one or more specific values, the one or more default valuesand/or the one or more default assumptions).

A third general concept of the present disclosure is that a base stationmay instruct (and/or indicate to) a UE not to monitor one or moremonitoring occasions for one or more power saving signals. A basestation may instruct (and/or indicate to) a UE not to monitor one ormore monitoring occasions that overlap with Active Time.

A fourth general concept of the present disclosure is that a UE maysolve a conflict (such as a conflict described in the foregoingdescription) by using a priority to select a PDCCH, one or more PDCCHcandidates and/or a DCI format to be monitored if one or more monitoringoccasions for a power saving signal overlaps with Active Time. Theselection may be performed and/or used when required (and/or configured)PDCCH monitoring of the UE exceeds a UE capability of the UE.

Some and/or all of the four general concepts of the present disclosurecan be combined to form to a concept.

Behavior and/or operations described throughout the present disclosuremay be applied to a single serving cell and/or multiple serving cells,unless otherwise noted.

Throughout the present disclosure, the term “base station” may refer toa base station, a network, a network node and/or a gNB. These terms maybe used interchangeably.

In a first embodiment, a UE receives an indication from a base stationto monitor a power saving signal. The UE may determine whether tomonitor the power saving signal in a slot based on whether the slot isin Active Time. In some embodiments, the UE may determine whether toskip monitoring of the power saving signal in the slot based on whetherthe slot is within Active Time. The UE may monitor the power savingsignal in the slot if the slot is not within Active Time. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the UE may not monitor the power saving signal inthe slot if the slot is within Active Time. In some embodiments, the UEmay skip monitoring of the power saving signal in the slot if the slotis within Active Time. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may notskip monitoring of the power saving signal in the slot if the slot isnot within Active Time.

In some embodiments, the UE does not monitor the power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions if at least one monitoring occasion ofthe one or more monitoring occasions is within Active Time. The UE mayskip monitoring of the power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions if at least one monitoring occasion of the one or moremonitoring occasions is within Active Time. The UE may not monitor thepower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions if (allmonitoring occasions of) the one or more monitoring occasions are withinActive Time. The UE may skip monitoring of the power saving signal inthe one or more monitoring occasions if (all monitoring occasions of)the one or more monitoring occasions are within Active Time.

The one or more monitoring occasions may comprise one, some and/or allmonitoring occasions within a DRX cycle. The one or more monitoringoccasions may comprise one, some and/or all monitoring occasions betweentwo DRX ON durations (e.g., the two DRX ON durations may be twoconsecutive DRX ON durations). The one or more monitoring occasions maycomprise one, some and/or all monitoring occasions before a DRX ONduration (and/or after a preceding DRX ON duration before the DRX ONduration). The one or more monitoring occasions may comprise one, someand/or all monitoring occasions for a power saving signal that indicatesinformation for the DRX ON duration (and/or a different DRX ONduration). The power saving signal may indicate whether the UE shouldwake up for the DRX ON duration (and/or a different DRX ON duration).The power saving signal may be monitored before the DRX ON duration(and/or a different DRX ON duration). An offset may be indicative of theone or more monitoring occasions of the power saving signal. The offsetmay be indicative of a time duration between a beginning of a DRX ONduration and the one or more monitoring occasions of the power savingsignal.

In some embodiments, the power saving signal is carried on and/ortransmitted via a PDCCH. Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCHmay not comprise scheduling information for the UE. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the PDCCH may be for power saving (e.g., the PDCCH may beconfigured and/or used for power saving signals and/or other signals).Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH may be a group commonPDCCH. Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH may be for a groupof UEs. Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH may be monitored ina common search space. Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH maybe scrambled with a RNTI specific for power saving (e.g., the RNTI maybe configured and/or used for power saving signals and/or othersignals). Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH may have a newDCI format. Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH may bemonitored in a CORESET for power saving (e.g., the CORESET may beconfigured and/or used for monitoring power saving signals and/or othersignals). Alternatively and/or additionally, the PDCCH may be monitoredin a BWP for power saving (e.g., the BWP may be configured and/or usedfor monitoring power saving signals and/or other signals).

In some embodiments, the UE behaves as if the UE detects and/or receivesa power saving signal for the UE. Alternatively and/or additionally, theUE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalfor the UE when the UE does not monitor a power saving signal in one ormore monitoring occasions. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maybehave as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signal forthe UE when the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signal in one ormore monitoring occasions associated with the power saving signal.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if the UEdetects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating one or morevalues in one or more fields (of the power saving signal). For example,the UE may apply one or more power saving techniques and/or one or moreconfigurations and/or perform one or more operations in accordance withthe one or more values. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform oneor more operations and/or apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicative ofthe one or more values in the one or more fields. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating whether one or more first power savingtechniques are applied. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform oneor more operations and/or apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicatingwhether the one or more first power saving techniques are applied.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if the UEdetects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating how one or moresecond power saving techniques are applied. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of apower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more power savingtechniques and/or one or more configurations that the UE is configuredto perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signalindicating how the one or more second power saving techniques areapplied. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if theUE detects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating one or morepower consumption characteristics. In an example, responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more power savingtechniques and/or one or more configurations that the UE is configuredto perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signalindicating the one or more power consumption characteristics. One ormore power saving techniques (e.g., the one or more first power savingtechniques and/or the one or more second power saving techniques) may beassociated with the power saving signal. For example, the power savingsignal may comprise information indicative of one or moreconfigurations, one or more power saving techniques and/or one or moreoperations.

In some embodiments, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/or additionally,the one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration maycomprise one, some and/or all monitoring occasions for the DRX ONduration. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may wake up for aDRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ON duration based on anindication and/or a configuration from the base station (e.g., the UEmay wake up for the DRX ON duration if the indication and/or theconfiguration indicate to the UE to wake up for the DRX ON durationand/or the UE may go to sleep for the DRX ON duration if the indicationand/or the configuration indicate to the UE to go to sleep for the DRXON duration). Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may wake up fora DRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ON duration based on anindication and/or a configuration from the base station if the UE skipsmonitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsfor the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maywake up for a DRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ON durationbased on a last power saving signal (e.g., a previously and/or mostrecently received power saving signal) if the UE skips monitoring of apower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ONduration (e.g., the UE may wake up for the DRX ON duration if the lastpower saving signal indicates to the UE to wake up and/or the UE may goto sleep for the DRX ON duration if the last power saving signalindicates to the UE to go to sleep). Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE does not wake up for a DRX ON duration or does not go to sleepfor the DRX ON duration if above condition is not fulfilled (e.g., theUE may not wake up for a DRX ON duration or may not go to sleep for theDRX ON duration if the UE does not skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON durationand/or the power saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UEnot to wake up or not to go to sleep). In some embodiments, the powersaving signal carries (and/or comprises) an indication to inform the UEto wake up (or not to wake up). The DRX ON duration may be associatedwith the one or more monitoring occasions. The UE may behave as if theUE detects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to wake up. For example, the UE may perform one ormore operations (e.g., wake up) and/or apply one or more configurationsthat the UE is configured to perform and/or apply responsive toreceiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) theUE to wake up.

In some embodiments, the UE disables cross-slot scheduling if the UEskips monitoring of a first power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal(e.g., the UE may disable cross-slot scheduling responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions).Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE enables cross-slot schedulingif above condition is not fulfilled (e.g., the UE may enable cross-slotscheduling if the UE does not skip monitoring of a power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration and/or thepower saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE to enablecross-slot scheduling). In some embodiments, the first power savingsignal carries (and/or comprises) an indication related to cross-slotscheduling. In some embodiments, the UE behaves as if the UE detectsand/or receives a power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing)the UE to disable cross-slot scheduling. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, theUE may perform one or more operations (e.g., disable cross-slotscheduling) and/or apply one or more configurations that the UE isconfigured to perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to disablecross-slot scheduling. The UE may disable cross-slot scheduling bysetting a minimum applicable value for a scheduling delay to 0.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may disable cross-slotscheduling by setting a minimum applicable value for a scheduling delayto a lowest value (e.g., a lowest value of one or more values with whichthe UE is configured to set the minimum applicable value for thescheduling delay). Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may disablecross-slot scheduling by setting a minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay to a shortest delay in a time domain resourceallocation table (e.g., the scheduling delay may be set to a shortestdelay of one or more delays provided in a time domain resourceallocation table with which the UE is configured).

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first minimum applicable value fora scheduling delay if the UE skips monitoring of a first power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first minimum applicablevalue for the scheduling delay responsive to the UE skipping monitoringand/or determining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE applies a second minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay if above condition is not fulfilled (e.g., the UE mayapply the second minimum applicable value for the scheduling delay ifthe UE does not skip monitoring of a power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration and/or the power savingsignal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE to apply the secondminimum applicable value for a scheduling delay). The first power savingsignal may carry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay. In some embodiments, the UEbehaves as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, theUE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one or moreconfigurations (e.g., the first minimum applicable value for thescheduling delay) that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay.

In some embodiments, the first minimum applicable value corresponds to aminimum applicable value associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first minimumapplicable value may correspond to a minimum applicable value that isindicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal,that comprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of apower saving signal may be used to determine a minimum applicable valueand/or the first minimum applicable value may correspond to adetermination and/or derivation of a minimum applicable value using thecorresponding field comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In someembodiments, the first minimum applicable value is 0. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first minimum applicable value may be a lowestminimum applicable value of one or more configured minimum applicablevalues (e.g., one or more minimum applicable values for scheduling delaywith which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst minimum applicable value may be a configured minimum applicablevalue (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first minimum applicablevalue). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first minimum applicablevalue is determined based on a time domain resource allocation table(e.g., the UE may be configured with the time domain resource allocationtable and/or may use one or more values of the time domain resourcesallocation table to determine the first minimum applicable value, suchas by determining one or more minimum applicable values and/or selectinga minimum applicable value from the one or more minimum applicablevalues as the first minimum applicable value). In some embodiments, thefirst minimum applicable value is a fixed value. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first minimum applicable value may be a default value(e.g., a default minimum applicable value that is used by the UE whenthe UE does not detect and/or receive a power saving signal indicativeof a minimum applicable value). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst minimum applicable value may be a minimum applicable value whichis used when a power saving signal does not indicate a minimumapplicable value (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first minimumapplicable value that is used when the UE receives a power saving signalthat is not indicative of a minimum applicable value and/or that doesnot comprise a field of DCI with a minimum applicable value).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first minimum applicable valuemay be a minimum applicable value indicated by a last power savingsignal (e.g., a previously and/or most recently received power savingsignal prior to transmission of the first power saving signal). Forexample, responsive to receiving the last power saving signal, the UEmay store a minimum applicable value indicated by the last power savingsignal. The UE may use the minimum applicable value indicated by thelast power saving signal if the UE skips monitoring of the first powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions associated withthe first power saving signal.

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first PDCCH monitoring pattern(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern) if the UE skips monitoring of a first powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thefirst power saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE applies a second PDCCH monitoring pattern if above condition isnot fulfilled (e.g., the UE may apply the second PDCCH monitoringpattern if the UE does not skip monitoring of a power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration and/or thepower saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE to apply thesecond PDCCH monitoring pattern). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCH monitoringpattern. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the first powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more configurations(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern) that the UE is configured to perform and/orapply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoring pattern.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern corresponds to aPDCCH monitoring pattern associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may correspond to a PDCCH monitoring pattern that is indicatedby a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, thatcomprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal may be used to determine a PDCCH monitoring pattern and/orthe first PDCCH monitoring pattern may correspond to a determinationand/or derivation of a PDCCH monitoring pattern using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring pattern is a configured PDCCH monitoringpattern (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCH monitoringpattern). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoring pattern (e.g., the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoring pattern ofone or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which the UE is configured).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoring patternmay be a PDCCH monitoring pattern with a highest quantity of PDCCHmonitoring occasions within a (time) period (e.g., the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern may have a highest quantity of PDCCH monitoringoccasions within the (time) period among one or more PDCCH monitoringpatterns with which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a PDCCHmonitoring pattern with a highest frequency and/or a highest rate ofPDCCH monitoring occasions (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring pattern mayhave a highest frequency and/or a highest rate of PDCCH monitoringoccasions among one or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which the UEis configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern may be a default PDCCH monitoring pattern (e.g., adefault PDCCH monitoring pattern that is used by the UE, such as forperforming PDCCH monitoring, when the UE does not detect and/or receivea power saving signal indicative of a PDCCH monitoring pattern otherthan the default PDCCH monitoring pattern). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a PDCCHmonitoring pattern which is used when a power saving signal does notindicate a PDCCH monitoring pattern (e.g., the UE may be configured withthe first PDCCH monitoring pattern that is used, such as for performingPDCCH monitoring, when the UE receives a power saving signal that is notindicative of a PDCCH monitoring pattern and/or that does not comprise afield of DCI with a PDCCH monitoring pattern). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a PDCCHmonitoring pattern indicated by a last power saving signal (e.g., apreviously and/or most recently received power saving signal prior totransmission of the first power saving signal). For example, responsiveto receiving the last power saving signal, the UE may store anindication of a PDCCH monitoring pattern indicated by the last powersaving signal. The UE may use, such as for performing PDCCH monitoring,the PDCCH monitoring pattern indicated by the last power saving signalif the UE skips monitoring of the first power saving signal in the oneor more monitoring occasions associated with the first power savingsignal.

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first PDCCH monitoring periodicity(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity) if the UE skips monitoring of a firstpower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated withthe first power saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE applies a second PDCCH monitoring periodicity if above conditionis not fulfilled (e.g., the UE may apply the second PDCCH monitoringperiodicity if the UE does not skip monitoring of a power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration and/or thepower saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE to apply thesecond PDCCH monitoring periodicity). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCH monitoringperiodicity. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use thefirst PDCCH monitoring periodicity. In an example, responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more configurations(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity) that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoringperiodicity.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity correspondsto a PDCCH monitoring periodicity associated with all zeros in acorresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity may correspond to a PDCCH monitoringperiodicity that is indicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of apower saving signal, that comprises “000”). For example, thecorresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal may be used todetermine a PDCCH monitoring periodicity and/or the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of a PDCCH monitoring periodicity using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity is a configured PDCCH monitoringperiodicity (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity may be a shortest PDCCH monitoringperiodicity (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity may be ashortest PDCCH monitoring periodicity of one or more PDCCH monitoringperiodicities with which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity may be a defaultPDCCH monitoring periodicity (e.g., a default PDCCH monitoringperiodicity that is used by the UE, such as for performing PDCCHmonitoring, when the UE does not detect and/or receive a power savingsignal indicative of a PDCCH monitoring periodicity other than thedefault PDCCH monitoring periodicity). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity may be a PDCCHmonitoring periodicity which is used when a power saving signal does notindicate a PDCCH monitoring periodicity (e.g., the UE may be configuredwith the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity that is used, such as forperforming PDCCH monitoring, when the UE receives a power saving signalthat is not indicative of a PDCCH monitoring periodicity and/or thatdoes not comprise a field of DCI with a PDCCH monitoring periodicity).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoringperiodicity may be a PDCCH monitoring periodicity indicated by a lastpower saving signal (e.g., a previously and/or most recently receivedpower saving signal prior to transmission of the first power savingsignal). For example, responsive to receiving the last power savingsignal, the UE may store an indication of a PDCCH monitoring periodicityindicated by the last power saving signal. The UE may use, such as forperforming PDCCH monitoring, the PDCCH monitoring periodicity indicatedby the last power saving signal if the UE skips monitoring of the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions associatedwith the first power saving signal.

In some embodiments, the UE disables PDCCH monitoring skipping if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE enables PDCCH monitoring skipping if abovecondition is not fulfilled (e.g., the UE may enable PDCCH monitoringskipping if the UE does not skip monitoring of a power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration and/or thepower saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE to enablePDCCH monitoring skipping). Alternatively and/or additionally, the UEmay apply a first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration if the UEskips monitoring of a first power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal(e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to PDCCH monitoringskipping. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, theUE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one or moreconfigurations (e.g., the UE may skip PDCCH monitoring in one or moremonitoring occasions in accordance with the first PDCCH monitoringskipping configuration) that the UE is configured to perform and/orapply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationis associated with a first pattern to skip one or more configured PDCCHmonitoring occasions (e.g., one or more PDCCH monitoring occasions inActive Time). For example, the UE may determine, based on the firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration, one or more configured PDCCHmonitoring occasions in which the UE skips monitoring PDCCH. In someembodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationcorresponds to a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration associated withall zeros in a corresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal(e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration may correspondto a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration that is indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine a PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration and/or the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationmay correspond to a determination and/or derivation of a PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments, thefirst PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration is a configured PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration (e.g., the UE may be configured withthe first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration isassociated a skipping pattern with a lowest amount of skipping (e.g.,the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration may be associated witha lowest amount of PDCCH monitoring occasions for the UE to skip amongone or more PDCCH monitoring skipping configurations with which the UEis configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration may be a default PDCCH monitoringskipping configuration (e.g., a default PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration that is used by the UE, such as for determining one ormore PDCCH monitoring occasions in which to skip PDCCH monitoring, whenthe UE does not detect and/or receive a power saving signal indicativeof a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration other than the defaultPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration may be aPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration which is used when a powersaving signal does not indicate a PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration that is used, such as for determiningone or more PDCCH monitoring occasions in which to skip PDCCHmonitoring, when the UE receives a power saving signal that is notindicative of a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration and/or that doesnot comprise a field of DCI with a PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration may be a PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration indicated by a last power saving signal (e.g., apreviously and/or most recently received power saving signal prior totransmission of the first power saving signal). For example, responsiveto receiving the last power saving signal, the UE may store anindication of a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration indicated by thelast power saving signal. The UE may use, such as for determining one ormore PDCCH monitoring occasions in which to skip PDCCH monitoring, thePDCCH monitoring skipping configuration indicated by the last powersaving signal if the UE skips monitoring of the first power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal.

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first MIMO layer configurationand/or a first antenna configuration if the UE skips monitoring of afirst power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associatedwith the first power saving signal. Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE applies a second MIMO layer configuration and/or a second antennaconfiguration if above condition is not fulfilled (e.g., the UE mayapply the second MIMO layer configuration and/or the second antennaconfiguration if the UE does not skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON durationand/or the power saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE toapply the second MIMO layer configuration and/or the second antennaconfiguration). In some embodiments, the first MIMO layer configurationcorresponds to at least one of one or more MIMO layers, a quantity ofMIMO layers, etc. In some embodiments, the first antenna configurationcorresponds to at least one of one or more antennas, a quantity ofantennas, etc. The first power saving signal may carry (and/or comprise)an indication related to a MIMO layer configuration and/or an antennaconfiguration (e.g., the first power saving signal may be indicative ofat least one of one or more MIMO layers, a quantity of MIMO layers, oneor more antennas, a quantity of antennas, etc.). The UE may behave as ifthe UE detects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first MIMO layer configurationand/or the first antenna configuration. In an example, responsive to theUE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, theUE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one or moreconfigurations (e.g., the UE may apply the first MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration) that the UE isconfigured to perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the firstMIMO layer configuration and/or the first antenna configuration.

In some embodiments, the first MIMO layer configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration correspond to a MIMO layer configuration and/or anantenna configuration associated with all zeros in a corresponding fieldof DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration may correspond to aMIMO layer configuration and/or an antenna configuration indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine a MIMO layer configuration and/or thefirst MIMO layer configuration may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of a MIMO layer configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the corresponding field of DCI of a power saving signalmay be used to determine an antenna configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of an antenna configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments, thefirst MIMO layer configuration may be a configured MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration may be a configuredantenna configuration (e.g., the UE may be configured with the firstMIMO layer configuration and/or the first antenna configuration).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layer configurationmay be associated with a highest quantity of MIMO layers (e.g., thefirst MIMO layer configuration may be associated with a highest quantityof MIMO layers among one or more MIMO layer configurations with whichthe UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstantenna configuration may be associated with a highest quantity ofantennas (e.g., the first antenna configuration may be associated with ahighest quantity of antennas among one or more antenna configurationswith which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst MIMO layer configuration may be 4 layers or 8 layers.Alternatively and/or additionally, the first antenna configuration maybe 4Tx or 8Tx. Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layerconfiguration may be a default MIMO layer configuration (e.g., a defaultMIMO layer configuration that is used by the UE, such as for determiningone or more MIMO layers and/or a quantity of MIMO layers, when the UEdoes not detect and/or receive a power saving signal indicative of aMIMO layer configuration other than the default MIMO layerconfiguration). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first antennaconfiguration may be a default antenna configuration (e.g., a defaultantenna configuration that is used by the UE, such as for determiningone or more antennas and/or a quantity of antennas, when the UE does notdetect and/or receive a power saving signal indicative of an antennaconfiguration other than the default antenna configuration).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layer configurationmay be a MIMO layer configuration which is used when a power savingsignal does not indicate a MIMO layer configuration (e.g., the UE may beconfigured with the first MIMO layer configuration that is used, such asfor determining one or more MIMO layers and/or a quantity of MIMOlayers, when the UE receives a power saving signal that is notindicative of a MIMO layer configuration and/or that does not comprise afield of DCI with a MIMO layer configuration). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first antenna configuration may be an antennaconfiguration which is used when a power saving signal does not indicatean antenna configuration (e.g., the UE may be configured with the firstantenna configuration that is used, such as for determining one or moreantennas and/or a quantity of antennas, when the UE receives a powersaving signal that is not indicative of an antenna configuration and/orthat does not comprise a field of DCI with an antenna configuration).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layer configurationmay be a MIMO layer configuration indicated by a last power savingsignal (e.g., a previously and/or most recently received power savingsignal prior to transmission of the first power saving signal). Forexample, responsive to receiving the last power saving signal, the UEmay store an indication of a MIMO layer configuration indicated by thelast power saving signal. The UE may use, such as for determining one ormore MIMO layers and/or a quantity of MIMO layers, the MIMO layerconfiguration indicated by the last power saving signal if the UE skipsmonitoring of the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal.Alternatively and/or additionally, the first antenna configuration maybe an antenna configuration indicated by a last power saving signal(e.g., a previously and/or most recently received power saving signalprior to transmission of the first power saving signal). For example,responsive to receiving the last power saving signal, the UE may storean indication of an antenna configuration indicated by the last powersaving signal. The UE may use, such as for determining one or moreantennas and/or a quantity of antennas, the antenna configurationindicated by the last power saving signal if the UE skips monitoring ofthe first power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasionsassociated with the first power saving signal.

In some embodiments, the UE applies one or more power saving techniques,one or more operations and/or one or more configurations based on afirst assumption if the UE skips monitoring of a first power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE appliesone or more power saving techniques, one or more operations and/or oneor more configurations based on a second assumption if above conditionis not fulfilled (e.g., the UE may apply the one or more power savingtechniques, the one or more operations and/or the one or moreconfigurations based on the second assumption if the UE does not skipmonitoring of the first power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the first power saving signal and/or the firstpower saving signal instructs (and/or indicates to) the UE to apply thesecond assumption). The first power saving signal may carry (and/orcomprise) an indication related to the one or more power savingtechniques, the one or more operations and/or the one or moreconfigurations. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use thefirst assumption (and/or the one or more power saving techniques, theone or more operations and/or the one or more configurations). In anexample, responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining toskip monitoring of the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions, the UE may perform the one or more operationsand/or apply the one or more power saving techniques and/or the one ormore configurations that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first assumption.

In some embodiments, the first assumption corresponds to an assumptionassociated with all zeros in a corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal (e.g., the first assumption may correspond to informationassociated with the one or more power saving techniques, the one or moreoperations and/or the one or more configurations indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine information associated with at least oneof a power saving technique, an operation, a configuration, etc. Thefirst assumption (e.g., the one or more power saving techniques, the oneor more operations and/or the one or more configurations) may correspondto a determination and/or derivation of at least one of a power savingtechnique, an operation, a configuration, etc. using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first assumption is a configured assumption (e.g., the UE may beconfigured with the one or more power saving techniques, the one or moreoperations and/or the one or more configurations associated with thefirst assumption). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption may be a default assumption (e.g., a default assumption thatis used by the UE, such as for applying and/or determining the one ormore power saving techniques, the one or more operations and/or the oneor more configurations, when the UE does not detect and/or receiveinformation related to the one or more power saving techniques).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first assumption may be anassumption which is used when a power saving signal does not carryand/or comprise information for the one or more power saving techniques(e.g., the UE may be configured with the one or more power savingtechniques that are used when the UE receives a power saving signal thatis not indicative of information associated with the one or more powersaving techniques and/or that does not comprise a field of DCI withinformation associated with the one or more power saving techniques). Insome embodiments, the first assumption is an assumption which consumesthe most power (e.g., the first assumption may be indicative of one ormore power saving techniques, one or more operations and/or one or moreconfigurations associated with a most amount of power consumption amongpower saving techniques, operations, and/or configurations with whichthe UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption is an assumption without power saving (e.g., the firstassumption may not be associated with one or more power savingtechniques and/or the first assumption may be associated with one ormore operations that are not associated with a power saving technique).The first assumption corresponds to information (e.g., one or more powersaving techniques, one or more operations and/or one or moreconfigurations) indicated by a last power saving signal (e.g., apreviously and/or most recently received power saving signal prior totransmission of the first power saving signal). For example, responsiveto receiving the last power saving signal, the UE may store information(e.g., one or more power saving techniques, one or more operationsand/or one or more configurations) indicated by the last power savingsignal. The UE may use, such as for determining one or more power savingtechniques, one or more operations and/or one or more configurations,the information indicated by the last power saving signal if the UEskips monitoring of the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal.

In a second embodiment, a base station transmits an indication for a UEto monitor a power saving signal. For example, the base station maytransmit the indication to the UE and/or indicate to (and/or instruct)the UE to monitor the power saving signal. In some embodiments, the basestation determines whether to transmit the power saving signal (to theUE) in a slot based on whether the slot is within Active Time (e.g.,Active Time associated with the UE). Alternatively and/or additionally,the base station may determine whether to apply power saving relatedinformation indicated in a slot (e.g., power saving related informationindicated in the power saving signal associated with the slot) based onwhether the slot is within Active Time. In some embodiments, the basestation may transmit the power saving signal (to the UE) in the slot ifthe slot is not within Active Time. Alternatively and/or additionally,the base station may not transmit the power saving signal (to the UE) inthe slot if the slot is within Active Time. In some embodiments, thebase station does not apply power saving related information indicatedin a slot (e.g., power saving related information indicated in the powersaving signal associated with the slot) if the slot is within ActiveTime. For example, responsive to a determination that the slot is withinActive Time, the base station may not perform one or more operationsand/or may not apply one or more power saving techniques and/or one ormore configurations in accordance with power saving related informationindicated in the slot (and/or in the power saving signal). Alternativelyand/or additionally, the base station may apply power saving relatedinformation indicated in a slot (e.g., power saving related informationindicated in the power saving signal associated with the slot) if theslot is not within Active Time. For example, responsive to adetermination that the slot is not within Active Time, the base stationmay perform one or more operations and/or may apply one or more powersaving techniques and/or one or more configurations in accordance withpower saving related information indicated in the slot (and/or in thepower saving signal).

In some embodiments, the base station does not transmit the power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions if at least one monitoringoccasion of the one or more monitoring occasions is within Active Time.In some embodiments, the base station does not apply power savingrelated information indicated in the one or more monitoring occasions(e.g., power saving related information indicated in the power savingsignal associated with the one or more monitoring occasions) if at leastone monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions iswithin Active Time. For example, responsive to a determination that atleast one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions iswithin Active Time, the base station may not perform one or moreoperations and/or may not apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations in accordance with power savingrelated information indicated in the one or more monitoring occasions(and/or in the power saving signal). Alternatively and/or additionally,the base station may not transmit the power saving signal in the one ormore monitoring occasions if (all monitoring occasions of) the one ormore monitoring occasions are within Active Time. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the base station may not apply power saving relatedinformation indicated in the one or more monitoring occasions (e.g.,power saving related information indicated in the power saving signalassociated with the one or more monitoring occasions) if (all monitoringoccasions of) the one or more monitoring occasions are within ActiveTime. For example, responsive to a determination that (all monitoringoccasions of) the one or more monitoring occasions are within ActiveTime, the base station may not perform one or more operations and/or maynot apply one or more power saving techniques and/or one or moreconfigurations in accordance with power saving related informationindicated in the one or more monitoring occasions (and/or in the powersaving signal).

The one or more monitoring occasions may comprise one, some and/or allmonitoring occasions within a DRX cycle. The one or more monitoringoccasions may comprise one, some and/or all monitoring occasions betweentwo DRX ON durations (e.g., the two DRX ON durations may be twoconsecutive DRX ON durations). The one or more monitoring occasions maycomprise one, some and/or all monitoring occasions before a DRX ONduration (and/or after a preceding DRX ON duration before the DRX ONduration). The one or more monitoring occasions may comprise one, someand/or all monitoring occasions for a power saving signal that indicatesinformation for the DRX ON duration (and/or a different DRX ONduration). The power saving signal may indicate whether the UE shouldwake up for the DRX ON duration (and/or a different DRX ON duration).The power saving signal may be monitored before the DRX ON duration(and/or a different DRX ON duration). An offset may be indicative of theone or more monitoring occasions of the power saving signal. The offsetmay be indicative of a time duration between a beginning of a DRX ONduration and the one or more monitoring occasions of the power savingsignal.

In some embodiments, the UE behaves as if the UE detects and/or receivesa power saving signal for the UE. Alternatively and/or additionally, theUE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalfor the UE when the UE does not monitor a power saving signal in one ormore monitoring occasions. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maybehave as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signal forthe UE when the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signal in one ormore monitoring occasions associated with the power saving signal.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if the UEdetects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating one or morevalues in one or more fields (of the power saving signal). For example,the UE may apply one or more power saving techniques and/or one or moreconfigurations and/or perform one or more operations in accordance withthe one or more values. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform oneor more operations and/or apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicative ofthe one or more values in the one or more fields. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating whether one or more first power savingtechniques are applied. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform oneor more operations and/or apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicatingwhether the one or more first power saving techniques are applied.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if the UEdetects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating how one or moresecond power saving techniques are applied. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of apower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more power savingtechniques and/or one or more configurations that the UE is configuredto perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signalindicating how the one or more second power saving techniques areapplied. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if theUE detects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating one or morepower consumption characteristics. In an example, responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more power savingtechniques and/or one or more configurations that the UE is configuredto perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signalindicating the one or more power consumption characteristics.

In some embodiments, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/or additionally,the one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration maycomprise one, some and/or all monitoring occasions for the DRX ONduration. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may wake up for aDRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ON duration based on anindication and/or a configuration from the base station (e.g., the UEmay wake up for the DRX ON duration if the indication and/or theconfiguration indicate to the UE to wake up for the DRX ON durationand/or the UE may go to sleep for the DRX ON duration if the indicationand/or the configuration indicate to the UE to go to sleep for the DRXON duration). Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may wake up fora DRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ON duration based on anindication and/or a configuration from the base station if the UE skipsmonitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsfor the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maywake up for a DRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ON durationbased on a last power saving signal (e.g., a previously and/or mostrecently received power saving signal) if the UE skips monitoring of apower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ONduration (e.g., the UE may wake up for the DRX ON duration if the lastpower saving signal indicates to the UE to wake up and/or the UE may goto sleep for the DRX ON duration if the last power saving signalindicates to the UE to go to sleep). In some embodiments, the powersaving signal carries (and/or comprises) an indication to inform the UEto wake up (or not to wake up). The DRX ON duration may be associatedwith the one or more monitoring occasions. The UE may behave as if theUE detects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to wake up. For example, the UE may perform one ormore operations (e.g., wake up) and/or apply one or more configurationsthat the UE is configured to perform and/or apply responsive toreceiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) theUE to wake up.

In some embodiments, the UE disables cross-slot scheduling if the UEskips monitoring of a first power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal(e.g., the UE may disable cross-slot scheduling responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions). In someembodiments, the first power saving signal carries (and/or comprises) anindication related to cross-slot scheduling. In some embodiments, the UEbehaves as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to disable cross-slotscheduling. In an example, responsive to the UE skipping monitoringand/or determining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform one or moreoperations (e.g., disable cross-slot scheduling) and/or apply one ormore configurations that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to disable cross-slot scheduling.

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first minimum applicable value fora scheduling delay if the UE skips monitoring of a first power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first minimum applicablevalue for the scheduling delay responsive to the UE skipping monitoringand/or determining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signalmay carry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay. In some embodiments, the UEbehaves as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay.

In some embodiments, the first minimum applicable value corresponds to aminimum applicable value associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first minimumapplicable value may correspond to a minimum applicable value that isindicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal,that comprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of apower saving signal may be used to determine a minimum applicable valueand/or the first minimum applicable value may correspond to adetermination and/or derivation of a minimum applicable value using thecorresponding field comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In someembodiments, the first minimum applicable value is 0. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first minimum applicable value may be a lowestminimum applicable value of one or more configured minimum applicablevalues (e.g., one or more minimum applicable values for scheduling delaywith which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst minimum applicable value may be a configured minimum applicablevalue (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first minimum applicablevalue).

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first PDCCH monitoring pattern(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern) if the UE skips monitoring of a first powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thefirst power saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCH monitoringpattern. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern corresponds to aPDCCH monitoring pattern associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may correspond to a PDCCH monitoring pattern that is indicatedby a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, thatcomprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal may be used to determine a PDCCH monitoring pattern and/orthe first PDCCH monitoring pattern may correspond to a determinationand/or derivation of a PDCCH monitoring pattern using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring pattern is a configured PDCCH monitoringpattern (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCH monitoringpattern). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoring pattern (e.g., the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoring pattern ofone or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which the UE is configured).

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first PDCCH monitoring periodicity(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity) if the UE skips monitoring of a firstpower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated withthe first power saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCH monitoringperiodicity.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity correspondsto a PDCCH monitoring periodicity associated with all zeros in acorresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity may correspond to a PDCCH monitoringperiodicity that is indicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of apower saving signal, that comprises “000”). For example, thecorresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal may be used todetermine a PDCCH monitoring periodicity and/or the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of a PDCCH monitoring periodicity using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity is a configured PDCCH monitoringperiodicity (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity).

In some embodiments, the UE disables PDCCH monitoring skipping if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may apply a first PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration if the UE skips monitoring of a first power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions associated with the first powersaving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCH monitoringskipping configuration responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions).

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationis associated with a first pattern to skip one or more configured PDCCHmonitoring occasions (e.g., one or more PDCCH monitoring occasions inActive Time). For example, the UE may determine, based on the firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration, one or more configured PDCCHmonitoring occasions in which the UE skips monitoring PDCCH.

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first MIMO layer configurationand/or a first antenna configuration if the UE skips monitoring of afirst power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associatedwith the first power saving signal. In some embodiments, the first MIMOlayer configuration corresponds to at least one of one or more MIMOlayers, a quantity of MIMO layers, etc. In some embodiments, the firstantenna configuration corresponds to at least one of one or moreantennas, a quantity of antennas, etc.

In some embodiments, the first MIMO layer configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration correspond to a MIMO layer configuration and/or anantenna configuration associated with all zeros in a corresponding fieldof DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration may correspond to aMIMO layer configuration and/or an antenna configuration indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine a MIMO layer configuration and/or thefirst MIMO layer configuration may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of a MIMO layer configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values).

In some embodiments, the UE applies one or more power saving techniques,one or more operations and/or one or more configurations based on afirst assumption if the UE skips monitoring of a first power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal. The first power saving signal may carry (and/orcomprise) an indication related to the one or more power savingtechniques, the one or more operations and/or the one or moreconfigurations. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use thefirst assumption (and/or the one or more power saving techniques, theone or more operations and/or the one or more configurations).

In some embodiments, the first assumption corresponds to an assumptionassociated with all zeros in a corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal (e.g., the first assumption may correspond to informationassociated with the one or more power saving techniques, the one or moreoperations and/or the one or more configurations indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine information associated with at least oneof a power saving technique, an operation, a configuration, etc. Thefirst assumption (e.g., the one or more power saving techniques, the oneor more operations and/or the one or more configurations) may correspondto a determination and/or derivation of at least one of a power savingtechnique, an operation, a configuration, etc. using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first assumption is a configured assumption (e.g., the UE may beconfigured with the one or more power saving techniques, the one or moreoperations and/or the one or more configurations associated with thefirst assumption). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption may be a default assumption (e.g., a default assumption thatis used by the UE, such as for applying and/or determining the one ormore power saving techniques, the one or more operations and/or the oneor more configurations, when the UE does not detect and/or receiveinformation related to the one or more power saving techniques).

In a third embodiment, a UE receives an indication from a base stationto monitor a power saving signal. In some embodiments, the UE does notmonitor a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsassociated with the power saving signal. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the one or more monitoring occasions associated with thepower saving signal may comprise one, some and/or all monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal. The UE may skipmonitoring of the power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions. In some embodiments, the UE behaves as if the UE detectsand/or receives a power saving signal for the UE. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal for the UE when the UE does not monitor a powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal for the UE when the UE skips monitoring of a powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thepower saving signal. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maybehave as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalindicating one or more values in one or more fields (of the power savingsignal). For example, the UE may apply one or more power savingtechniques and/or one or more configurations and/or perform one or moreoperations in accordance with the one or more values. In an example,responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skipmonitoring of a power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions, the UE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one ormore power saving techniques and/or one or more configurations that theUE is configured to perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a powersaving signal indicative of the one or more values in the one or morefields. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may behave as if theUE detects and/or receives a power saving signal indicating whether oneor more first power saving techniques are applied. In an example,responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skipmonitoring of a power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions, the UE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one ormore power saving techniques and/or one or more configurations that theUE is configured to perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a powersaving signal indicating whether the one or more first power savingtechniques are applied. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maybehave as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalindicating how one or more second power saving techniques are applied.In an example, responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of a power saving signal in the one ormore monitoring occasions, the UE may perform one or more operationsand/or apply one or more power saving techniques and/or one or moreconfigurations that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating how the one ormore second power saving techniques are applied. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating one or more power consumptioncharacteristics. In an example, responsive to the UE skipping monitoringand/or determining to skip monitoring of a power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform one or moreoperations and/or apply one or more power saving techniques and/or oneor more configurations that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating the one or morepower consumption characteristics. One or more power saving techniques(e.g., the one or more first power saving techniques and/or the one ormore second power saving techniques) may be associated with the powersaving signal. For example, the power saving signal may compriseinformation indicative of one or more configurations, one or more powersaving techniques and/or one or more operations.

In some embodiments, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE may wake up for a DRX ON duration or go to sleep for the DRX ONduration based on an indication and/or a configuration from the basestation (e.g., the UE may wake up for the DRX ON duration if theindication and/or the configuration indicate to the UE to wake up forthe DRX ON duration and/or the UE may go to sleep for the DRX ONduration if the indication and/or the configuration indicate to the UEto go to sleep for the DRX ON duration). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may wake up for a DRX ON duration or go to sleepfor the DRX ON duration based on an indication and/or a configurationfrom the base station if the UE skips monitoring of a power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may wake up for a DRX ONduration or go to sleep for the DRX ON duration based on a last powersaving signal (e.g., a previously and/or most recently received powersaving signal) if the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration (e.g., the UEmay wake up for the DRX ON duration if the last power saving signalindicates to the UE to wake up and/or the UE may go to sleep for the DRXON duration if the last power saving signal indicates to the UE to go tosleep). Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE does not wake up for aDRX ON duration or does not go to sleep for the DRX ON duration if abovecondition is not fulfilled (e.g., the UE may not wake up for a DRX ONduration or may not go to sleep for the DRX ON duration if the UE doesnot skip monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration and/or the power saving signalinstructs (and/or indicates to) the UE not to wake up or not to go tosleep). In some embodiments, the power saving signal carries (and/orcomprises) an indication to inform the UE to wake up (or not to wakeup). The DRX ON duration may be associated with the one or moremonitoring occasions. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/orreceives a power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UEto wake up. For example, the UE may perform one or more operations(e.g., wake up) and/or apply one or more configurations that the UE isconfigured to perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to wake up.

In some embodiments, the UE disables cross-slot scheduling if the UEskips monitoring of a first power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal(e.g., the UE may disable cross-slot scheduling responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions).Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may enable same-slotscheduling if the UE skips monitoring of a first power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions associated with the first power savingsignal (e.g., the UE may enable same-slot scheduling responsive to theUE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions).

In some embodiments, the first power saving signal carries (and/orcomprises) an indication related to cross-slot scheduling. In someembodiments, the UE behaves as if the UE detects and/or receives a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to disablecross-slot scheduling. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the first powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations (e.g., disable cross-slot scheduling)and/or apply one or more configurations that the UE is configured toperform and/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to disable cross-slotscheduling. The UE may disable cross-slot scheduling by setting aminimum applicable value for a scheduling delay to 0.

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first minimum applicable value fora scheduling delay if the UE skips monitoring of a first power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first minimum applicablevalue for the scheduling delay responsive to the UE skipping monitoringand/or determining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signalmay carry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay. In some embodiments, the UEbehaves as if the UE detects and/or receives a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, theUE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one or moreconfigurations (e.g., the first minimum applicable value for thescheduling delay) that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay.

In some embodiments, the first minimum applicable value corresponds to aminimum applicable value associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first minimumapplicable value may correspond to a minimum applicable value that isindicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal,that comprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of apower saving signal may be used to determine a minimum applicable valueand/or the first minimum applicable value may correspond to adetermination and/or derivation of a minimum applicable value using thecorresponding field comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In someembodiments, the first minimum applicable value is 0. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first minimum applicable value may be a lowestminimum applicable value of one or more configured minimum applicablevalues (e.g., one or more minimum applicable values for scheduling delaywith which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst minimum applicable value may be a configured minimum applicablevalue (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first minimum applicablevalue).

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first PDCCH monitoring pattern(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern) if the UE skips monitoring of a first powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thefirst power saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCH monitoringpattern. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the first powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more configurations(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern) that the UE is configured to perform and/orapply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoring pattern.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern corresponds to aPDCCH monitoring pattern associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may correspond to a PDCCH monitoring pattern that is indicatedby a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, thatcomprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal may be used to determine a PDCCH monitoring pattern and/orthe first PDCCH monitoring pattern may correspond to a determinationand/or derivation of a PDCCH monitoring pattern using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring pattern is a configured PDCCH monitoringpattern (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCH monitoringpattern). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoring pattern (e.g., the firstPDCCH monitoring pattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoring pattern ofone or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which the UE is configured).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoring patternmay be a PDCCH monitoring pattern with a highest quantity of PDCCHmonitoring occasions within a (time) period (e.g., the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern may have a highest quantity of PDCCH monitoringoccasions within the (time) period among one or more PDCCH monitoringpatterns with which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a PDCCHmonitoring pattern with a highest frequency and/or a highest rate ofPDCCH monitoring occasions (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring pattern mayhave a highest frequency and/or a highest rate of PDCCH monitoringoccasions among one or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which the UEis configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern may be a default PDCCH monitoring pattern (e.g., adefault PDCCH monitoring pattern that is used by the UE, such as forperforming PDCCH monitoring, when the UE does not detect and/or receivea power saving signal indicative of a PDCCH monitoring pattern otherthan the default PDCCH monitoring pattern).

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first PDCCH monitoring periodicity(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity) if the UE skips monitoring of a firstpower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated withthe first power saving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCH monitoringperiodicity. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use thefirst PDCCH monitoring periodicity. In an example, responsive to the UEskipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE mayperform one or more operations and/or apply one or more configurations(e.g., the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring in accordance with the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity) that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoringperiodicity.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity correspondsto a PDCCH monitoring periodicity associated with all zeros in acorresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity may correspond to a PDCCH monitoringperiodicity that is indicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of apower saving signal, that comprises “000”). For example, thecorresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal may be used todetermine a PDCCH monitoring periodicity and/or the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of a PDCCH monitoring periodicity using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity is a configured PDCCH monitoringperiodicity (e.g., the UE may be configured with the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstPDCCH monitoring periodicity may be a shortest PDCCH monitoringperiodicity (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity may be ashortest PDCCH monitoring periodicity of one or more PDCCH monitoringperiodicities with which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity may be a defaultPDCCH monitoring periodicity (e.g., a default PDCCH monitoringperiodicity that is used by the UE, such as for performing PDCCHmonitoring, when the UE does not detect and/or receive a power savingsignal indicative of a PDCCH monitoring periodicity other than thedefault PDCCH monitoring periodicity).

In some embodiments, the UE disables PDCCH monitoring skipping if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may apply a first PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration if the UE skips monitoring of a first power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions associated with the first powersaving signal (e.g., the UE may apply the first PDCCH monitoringskipping configuration responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/ordetermining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions). The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to PDCCH monitoringskipping. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration. In an example, responsive tothe UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of thefirst power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, theUE may perform one or more operations and/or apply one or moreconfigurations (e.g., the UE may skip PDCCH monitoring in one or moremonitoring occasions in accordance with the first PDCCH monitoringskipping configuration) that the UE is configured to perform and/orapply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to(and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationis associated with a first pattern to skip one or more configured PDCCHmonitoring occasions (e.g., one or more PDCCH monitoring occasions inActive Time). For example, the UE may determine, based on the firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration, one or more configured PDCCHmonitoring occasions in which the UE skips monitoring PDCCH. In someembodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationcorresponds to a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration associated withall zeros in a corresponding field of DCI of a power saving signal(e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration may correspondto a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration that is indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine a PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration and/or the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configurationmay correspond to a determination and/or derivation of a PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments, thefirst PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration is a configured PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration (e.g., the UE may be configured withthe first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration isassociated a skipping pattern with a lowest amount of skipping (e.g.,the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration may be associated witha lowest amount of PDCCH monitoring occasions for the UE to skip amongone or more PDCCH monitoring skipping configurations with which the UEis configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first PDCCHmonitoring skipping configuration may be a default PDCCH monitoringskipping configuration (e.g., a default PDCCH monitoring skippingconfiguration that is used by the UE, such as for determining one ormore PDCCH monitoring occasions in which to skip PDCCH monitoring, whenthe UE does not detect and/or receive a power saving signal indicativeof a PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration other than the defaultPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration).

In some embodiments, the UE applies a first MIMO layer configurationand/or a first antenna configuration if the UE skips monitoring of afirst power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associatedwith the first power saving signal. In some embodiments, the first MIMOlayer configuration corresponds to at least one of one or more MIMOlayers, a quantity of MIMO layers, etc. In some embodiments, the firstantenna configuration corresponds to at least one of one or moreantennas, a quantity of antennas, etc. The first power saving signal maycarry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a MIMO layerconfiguration and/or an antenna configuration (e.g., the first powersaving signal may be indicative of at least one of one or more MIMOlayers, a quantity of MIMO layers, one or more antennas, a quantity ofantennas, etc.). The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receivesa power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to usethe first MIMO layer configuration and/or the first antennaconfiguration. In an example, responsive to the UE skipping monitoringand/or determining to skip monitoring of the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions, the UE may perform one or moreoperations and/or apply one or more configurations (e.g., the UE mayapply the first MIMO layer configuration and/or the first antennaconfiguration) that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first MIMO layer configuration and/or thefirst antenna configuration.

In some embodiments, the first MIMO layer configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration correspond to a MIMO layer configuration and/or anantenna configuration associated with all zeros in a corresponding fieldof DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration may correspond to aMIMO layer configuration and/or an antenna configuration indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine a MIMO layer configuration and/or thefirst MIMO layer configuration may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of a MIMO layer configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the corresponding field of DCI of a power saving signalmay be used to determine an antenna configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration may correspond to a determination and/orderivation of an antenna configuration using the corresponding fieldcomprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments, thefirst MIMO layer configuration may be a configured MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration may be a configuredantenna configuration (e.g., the UE may be configured with the firstMIMO layer configuration and/or the first antenna configuration).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layer configurationmay be associated with a highest quantity of MIMO layers (e.g., thefirst MIMO layer configuration may be associated with a highest quantityof MIMO layers among one or more MIMO layer configurations with whichthe UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstantenna configuration may be associated with a highest quantity ofantennas (e.g., the first antenna configuration may be associated with ahighest quantity of antennas among one or more antenna configurationswith which the UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst MIMO layer configuration may be 4 layers or 8 layers.Alternatively and/or additionally, the first antenna configuration maybe 4Tx or 8Tx. Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layerconfiguration may be a default MIMO layer configuration (e.g., a defaultMIMO layer configuration that is used by the UE, such as for determiningone or more MIMO layers and/or a quantity of MIMO layers, when the UEdoes not detect and/or receive a power saving signal indicative of aMIMO layer configuration other than the default MIMO layerconfiguration). Alternatively and/or additionally, the first antennaconfiguration may be a default antenna configuration (e.g., a defaultantenna configuration that is used by the UE, such as for determiningone or more antennas and/or a quantity of antennas, when the UE does notdetect and/or receive a power saving signal indicative of an antennaconfiguration other than the default antenna configuration).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first MIMO layer configurationmay be a MIMO layer configuration which is used when a power savingsignal does not indicate a MIMO layer configuration (e.g., the UE may beconfigured with the first MIMO layer configuration that is used, such asfor determining one or more MIMO layers and/or a quantity of MIMOlayers, when the UE receives a power saving signal that is notindicative of a MIMO layer configuration and/or that does not comprise afield of DCI with a MIMO layer configuration).

In some embodiments, the UE applies one or more power saving techniques,one or more operations and/or one or more configurations based on afirst assumption if the UE skips monitoring of a first power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the firstpower saving signal. The first power saving signal may carry (and/orcomprise) an indication related to the one or more power savingtechniques, the one or more operations and/or the one or moreconfigurations. The UE may behave as if the UE detects and/or receives apower saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use thefirst assumption (and/or the one or more power saving techniques, theone or more operations and/or the one or more configurations). In anexample, responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining toskip monitoring of the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions, the UE may perform the one or more operationsand/or apply the one or more power saving techniques and/or the one ormore configurations that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first assumption.

In some embodiments, the first assumption corresponds to an assumptionassociated with all zeros in a corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal (e.g., the first assumption may correspond to informationassociated with the one or more power saving techniques, the one or moreoperations and/or the one or more configurations indicated by acorresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, that comprises“000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a power savingsignal may be used to determine information associated with at least oneof a power saving technique, an operation, a configuration, etc. Thefirst assumption (e.g., the one or more power saving techniques, the oneor more operations and/or the one or more configurations) may correspondto a determination and/or derivation of at least one of a power savingtechnique, an operation, a configuration, etc. using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first assumption is a configured assumption (e.g., the UE may beconfigured with the one or more power saving techniques, the one or moreoperations and/or the one or more configurations associated with thefirst assumption). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption may be a default assumption (e.g., a default assumption thatis used by the UE, such as for applying and/or determining the one ormore power saving techniques, the one or more operations and/or the oneor more configurations, when the UE does not detect and/or receiveinformation related to the one or more power saving techniques).Alternatively and/or additionally, the first assumption may be anassumption which is used when a power saving signal does not carryand/or comprise information for the one or more power saving techniques(e.g., the UE may be configured with the one or more power savingtechniques that are used when the UE receives a power saving signal thatis not indicative of information associated with the one or more powersaving techniques and/or that does not comprise a field of DCI withinformation associated with the one or more power saving techniques). Insome embodiments, the first assumption is an assumption which consumesthe most power (e.g., the first assumption may be indicative of one ormore power saving techniques, one or more operations and/or one or moreconfigurations associated with a most amount of power consumption amongpower saving techniques, operations, and/or configurations with whichthe UE is configured). Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption is an assumption without power saving (e.g., the firstassumption may not be associated with one or more power savingtechniques and/or the first assumption may be associated with one ormore operations that are not associated with a power saving technique).The first assumption corresponds to information (e.g., one or more powersaving techniques, one or more operations and/or one or moreconfigurations) indicated by a last power saving signal (e.g., apreviously and/or most recently received power saving signal prior totransmission of the first power saving signal). For example, responsiveto receiving the last power saving signal, the UE may store information(e.g., one or more power saving techniques, one or more operationsand/or one or more configurations) indicated by the last power savingsignal. The UE may use, such as for determining one or more power savingtechniques, one or more operations and/or one or more configurations,the information indicated by the last power saving signal if the UEskips monitoring of the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal.

In some embodiments, one or more assumptions applied by the UE asdescribed with respect to the third embodiment and/or others herein mayalso be applied by the base station. The one or more assumptions maycorrespond to at least one of one or more values of one or more fieldsof a power saving signal, whether the UE wakes up or goes to sleep,disablement of cross-slot scheduling, enablement of same-slotscheduling, the first minimum applicable value, the first PDCCHmonitoring pattern, the first PDCCH monitoring periodicity, the firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration, the first MIMO layerconfiguration, the first antenna configuration, the first assumption,one or more power saving techniques, one or more operations, one or moreconfigurations, etc. At least one of the one or more assumptions may beapplied by the base station when the base station determines and/orrealizes that the UE skipped and/or will skip monitoring of a powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thepower saving signal (and/or responsive to a determination that one, someand/or all of the one or more monitoring occasions associated with thepower saving signal are within Active Time associated with the UE).

In a fourth embodiment, a base station transmits an indication to a UEfor the UE to monitor a power saving signal. In some embodiments, thebase station determines and/or realizes that the UE does not monitor thepower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions (e.g., one ormore monitoring occasions associated with the power saving signal).Alternatively and/or additionally, the base station may determine and/orrealize that the UE skips monitoring of the power saving signal in theone or more monitoring occasions.

In some embodiments, the base station receives an indication from theUE. In some embodiments, the base station determines and/or realizes,based on the indication, that the UE does not monitor the power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions and/or that the UE skipsmonitoring of the power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions. The indication may be associated with and/or indicative ofmonitoring of the power saving signal being skipped by the UE and/or thepower saving signal not being monitored (in the one or more monitoringoccasions). In some embodiments, the indication may inform the basestation that the power saving signal is not monitored by the UE in theone or more monitoring occasions. Alternatively and/or additionally, theindication may inform the base station that monitoring of the powersignal in the one or more monitoring occasions is skipped by the UE. Insome embodiments, the indication is a scheduling request. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the indication comprises (and/or is comprised in)one or more messages related to a random access procedure.

In some embodiments, the base station determines and/or realizes thatthe UE does not monitor the power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions if the one or more monitoring occasions are withinActive Time (associated with the UE). The UE may not monitor a powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions if the one or moremonitoring occasions are within Active Time. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may skip monitoring of the power saving signal inthe one or more monitoring occasions if the one or more monitoringoccasions are within Active Time.

In some embodiments, the base station applies a first assumption of oneor more first power saving techniques, one or more first operationsand/or one or more first configurations for the UE. The base station mayapply the first assumption without transmitting, to the UE, a powersaving signal indicating the first assumption (e.g., a power savingsignal indicative of the one or more power saving techniques, the one ormore first operations and/or the one or more first configurations).Alternatively and/or additionally, the base station may apply the firstassumption regardless of whether the base station transmits, to the UE,a power saving signal indicating the first assumption. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the base station may apply the first assumption forthe UE even though the base station transmits a power saving signal,indicative of a second assumption (e.g., an assumption of one or moresecond power saving techniques, one or more second operations and/or oneor more second configurations different than the one or more first powersaving techniques, the one or more first operations and/or the one ormore first configurations) to the UE (e.g., the base station may applythe first assumption for the UE based on a determination that the UEdoes not monitor the power saving signal indicative of the secondassumption and/or that the UE skips monitoring of the power savingsignal). In some embodiments, the power saving signal indicative of thesecond assumption is transmitted in the one or more monitoringoccasions. In an example, responsive to the base station determiningand/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoringthe power saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, thebase station may apply the first assumption (e.g., the base station mayperform the one or more first operations and/or apply the one or morefirst power saving techniques and/or the one or more firstconfigurations in accordance with the first assumption).

In some embodiments, the first assumption is related to wake-up.Alternatively and/or additionally, the first assumption may be relatedto cross-slot scheduling. Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption may be related to a PDCCH monitoring pattern. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first assumption may be related to a PDCCHmonitoring periodicity. Alternatively and/or additionally, the firstassumption may be related to PDCCH skipping. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first assumption may be related to a quantity of MIMOlayers. Alternatively and/or additionally, the first assumption may berelated to a quantity of antennas.

In some embodiments, the base station behaves as if the base stationtransmits a power saving signal indicating the first assumption for theUE when the UE does not monitor a first power saving signal in one ormore monitoring occasions associated with the first power saving signal.In an example, responsive to the base station determining and/orrealizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring the powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the base stationmay apply the first assumption (e.g., the base station may perform theone or more first operations and/or apply the one or more first powersaving techniques and/or the one or more first configurations inaccordance with the first assumption).

In some embodiments, the first assumption is associated with one or morevalues in one or more fields of a power saving signal. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first assumption may be associated with whethera power saving technique is applied. For example, the first assumptionmay be an assumption to apply a power saving technique. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first assumption may be an assumption not toapply a power saving technique. In some embodiments, the power savingtechnique is associated with a power saving signal (e.g., a power savingsignal may be indicative of whether and/or how to apply the power savingtechnique). In some embodiments, the first assumption is associated withone or more power consumption characteristics.

In some embodiments, the first assumption may be an assumption that theUE wakes up for a DRX ON duration (or an assumption that the UE goes tosleep for the DRX ON duration). For example, the base station may assumeand/or determine that the UE wakes up for the DRX ON duration if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE may wake up for the DRX ON duration if the UE skips monitoring ofa power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ONduration. Alternatively and/or additionally, the base station may assumeand/or determine that the UE goes to sleep for the DRX ON duration ifthe UE skips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may go to sleep for the DRX ON duration if the UEskips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration. In some embodiments, the base stationschedules the UE in accordance with the assumption and/or thedetermination that the UE wakes up (or goes to sleep) for the DRX ONduration.

In some embodiments, the base station assumes and/or determines that theUE wakes up for a DRX ON duration or goes to sleep for the DRX ONduration based on an indication and/or configuration from the basestation (e.g., the base station may transmit the indication and/or theconfiguration, to the UE, indicative of the UE waking up (or going tosleep) for the DRX ON duration). Alternatively and/or additionally, thebase station may assume and/or determine that the UE wakes up for a DRXON duration or goes to sleep for the DRX ON duration based on anindication and/or configuration from the base station if the UE skipsmonitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsfor the DRX ON duration. In an example, responsive to the base stationdetermining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skipsmonitoring the power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration, the base station may assume and/ordetermine that the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration or goes to sleepfor the DRX ON duration based on a determination that the indicationand/or the configuration are indicative of the UE waking up or going tosleep. In some embodiments, the base station assumes and/or determinesthat the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration or goes to sleep for the DRXON duration based on a last power saving signal (e.g., a power savingsignal previously and/or most recently transmitted to the UE and/or apower saving signal transmitted in one or more previous monitoringoccasions) if the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signal in one ormore monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration. For example, a powersaving signal, such as the last power saving signal and/or one or moreother power saving signals received by the UE, may carry (and/orcomprise) an indication to inform the UE to wake up (or not to wake upand/or go to sleep). The DRX ON duration may be associated with the oneor more monitoring occasions.

In some embodiments, the base station disables cross-slot scheduling(associated with the UE) if the UE skips monitoring of a first powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions. In an example, thebase station may disable cross-slot scheduling (associated with the UE)responsive to the base station determining and/or realizing that the UEdoes not monitor and/or skips monitoring the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions. In some embodiments, the basestation enables same-slot scheduling (associated with the UE) if the UEskips monitoring of the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions. The power saving signal carries an indicationrelated to cross-slot scheduling. In an example, the base station mayenable same-slot scheduling (associated with the UE) responsive to thebase station determining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitorand/or skips monitoring the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions. In some embodiments, the base station behaves asif the base station transmits a power saving signal indicating the UE todisable cross-slot scheduling. In an example, responsive to the basestation determining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/orskips monitoring the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions, the base station may perform one or moreoperations and/or apply one or more configurations that the base stationis configured to perform and/or apply responsive to transmitting a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to disablecross-slot scheduling. In some embodiments, the base station may disablecross-slot scheduling by setting a minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay to 0.

In some embodiments, the base station applies a first minimum applicablevalue for a scheduling delay if the UE skips monitoring of a first powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thefirst power saving signal (e.g., the base station may apply the firstminimum applicable value for the scheduling delay responsive to the basestation determining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/orskips monitoring the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions). The first power saving signal may carry (and/orcomprise) an indication related to a minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay. In some embodiments, the base station behaves as ifthe base station transmits a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first minimum applicable value for ascheduling delay. In an example, responsive to the base stationdetermining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skipsmonitoring the first power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions, the base station may perform one or more operations and/orapply one or more configurations (e.g., the first minimum applicablevalue for the scheduling delay) that the base station is configured toperform and/or apply responsive to transmitting a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first minimumapplicable value for a scheduling delay.

In some embodiments, the first minimum applicable value corresponds to aminimum applicable value associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first minimumapplicable value may correspond to a minimum applicable value that isindicated by a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal,that comprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of apower saving signal may be used to determine a minimum applicable valueand/or the first minimum applicable value may correspond to adetermination and/or derivation of a minimum applicable value using thecorresponding field comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In someembodiments, the first minimum applicable value is 0. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first minimum applicable value may be a lowestminimum applicable value of one or more configured minimum applicablevalues (e.g., one or more minimum applicable values for scheduling delaywith which the base station and/or the UE are configured). Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first minimum applicable value may be aconfigured minimum applicable value (e.g., the base station and/or theUE may be configured with the first minimum applicable value). In someembodiments, the first minimum applicable value is a fixed value.Alternatively and/or additionally, the first minimum applicable valuemay be a default value (e.g., a default minimum applicable value that isused by the base station and/or the UE when the UE does not detectand/or receive a power saving signal indicative of a minimum applicablevalue).

In some embodiments, the base station applies a first PDCCH monitoringpattern if the UE skips monitoring of a first power saving signal in oneor more monitoring occasions associated with the first power savingsignal (e.g., the base station may apply the first PDCCH monitoringpattern responsive to the base station determining and/or realizing thatthe UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring the first power savingsignal in the one or more monitoring occasions). The first power savingsignal may carry (and/or comprise) an indication related to a PDCCHmonitoring pattern. In some embodiments, the base station behaves as ifthe base station transmits a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoring pattern. In anexample, responsive to the base station determining and/or realizingthat the UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring the first powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions, the base stationmay perform one or more operations and/or apply one or moreconfigurations (e.g., the base station may transmit one or more PDCCHsignals to the UE in accordance with the first PDCCH monitoring pattern)that the base station is configured to perform and/or apply responsiveto transmitting a power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing)the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoring pattern.

In some embodiments, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern corresponds to aPDCCH monitoring pattern associated with all zeros in a correspondingfield of DCI of a power saving signal (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoringpattern may correspond to a PDCCH monitoring pattern that is indicatedby a corresponding field of DCI, of a power saving signal, thatcomprises “000”). For example, the corresponding field of DCI of a powersaving signal may be used to determine a PDCCH monitoring pattern and/orthe first PDCCH monitoring pattern may correspond to a determinationand/or derivation of a PDCCH monitoring pattern using the correspondingfield comprising all zeros (and/or other values). In some embodiments,the first PDCCH monitoring pattern is a configured PDCCH monitoringpattern (e.g., the base station and/or the UE may be configured with thefirst PDCCH monitoring pattern). Alternatively and/or additionally, thefirst PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a most dense PDCCH monitoringpattern (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a most densePDCCH monitoring pattern of one or more PDCCH monitoring patterns withwhich the base station and/or the UE are configured). Alternativelyand/or additionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a PDCCHmonitoring pattern with a highest quantity of PDCCH monitoring occasionswithin a (time) period (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring pattern mayhave a highest quantity of PDCCH monitoring occasions within the (time)period among one or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which the basestation and/or the UE are configured). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a PDCCHmonitoring pattern with a highest frequency and/or a highest rate ofPDCCH monitoring occasions (e.g., the first PDCCH monitoring pattern mayhave a highest frequency and/or a highest rate of PDCCH monitoringoccasions among one or more PDCCH monitoring patterns with which thebase station and/or the UE are configured). Alternatively and/oradditionally, the first PDCCH monitoring pattern may be a default PDCCHmonitoring pattern (e.g., a default PDCCH monitoring pattern that isused by the base station, such as for transmitting one or more PDCCHsignals to the UE, when the UE does not detect and/or receive a powersaving signal indicative of a PDCCH monitoring pattern other than thedefault PDCCH monitoring pattern).

In some embodiments, the base station applies a first PDCCH monitoringperiodicity if the UE skips monitoring of a first power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions associated with the first power savingsignal (e.g., the base station may apply the first PDCCH monitoringperiodicity responsive to the base station determining and/or realizingthat the UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring the first powersaving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions). The first powersaving signal may carry (and/or comprise) an indication related to aPDCCH monitoring periodicity. In some embodiments, the base stationbehaves as if the base station transmits a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity. In an example, responsive to the base stationdetermining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skipsmonitoring the first power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions, the base station may perform one or more operations and/orapply one or more configurations (e.g., the base station may transmitone or more PDCCH signals to the UE in accordance with the first PDCCHmonitoring periodicity) that the base station is configured to performand/or apply responsive to transmitting a power saving signal indicatingto (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first PDCCH monitoringperiodicity.

In some embodiments, the base station disables PDCCH monitoring skippingif the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the power saving signal.Alternatively and/or additionally, the base station may apply a firstPDCCH monitoring skipping configuration if the UE skips monitoring of afirst power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associatedwith the first power saving signal (e.g., the base station may apply thefirst PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration responsive to the basestation determining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/orskips monitoring the first power saving signal in the one or moremonitoring occasions). The first power saving signal may carry (and/orcomprise) an indication related to PDCCH monitoring skipping. In someembodiments, the base station behaves as if the base station transmits apower saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use thefirst PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration. In an example, responsiveto the base station determining and/or realizing that the UE does notmonitor and/or skips monitoring the first power saving signal in the oneor more monitoring occasions, the base station may perform one or moreoperations and/or apply one or more configurations (e.g., the basestation may transmit one or more PDCCH signals to the UE in accordancewith the first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration) that the basestation is configured to perform and/or apply responsive to transmittinga power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to usethe first PDCCH monitoring skipping configuration.

In some embodiments, the base station applies a first MIMO layerconfiguration and/or a first antenna configuration if the UE skipsmonitoring of a first power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the first power saving signal (e.g., the basestation may apply the first MIMO layer configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration responsive to the base station determining and/orrealizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring the firstpower saving signal in the one or more monitoring occasions). In someembodiments, the first MIMO layer configuration corresponds to at leastone of one or more MIMO layers, a quantity of MIMO layers, etc. In someembodiments, the first antenna configuration corresponds to at least oneof one or more antennas, a quantity of antennas, etc. The first powersaving signal may carry (and/or comprise) an indication related to aMIMO layer configuration and/or an antenna configuration (e.g., thefirst power saving signal may be indicative of at least one of one ormore MIMO layers, a quantity of MIMO layers, one or more antennas, aquantity of antennas, etc.). In some embodiments, the base stationbehaves as if the base station transmits a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first MIMO layerconfiguration and/or the first antenna configuration. In an example,responsive to the base station determining and/or realizing that the UEdoes not monitor and/or skips monitoring the first power saving signalin the one or more monitoring occasions, the base station may performone or more operations and/or apply one or more configurations that thebase station is configured to perform and/or apply responsive totransmitting a power saving signal indicating to (and/or instructing)the UE to use the first MIMO layer configuration and/or the firstantenna configuration.

In some embodiments, the base station applies one or more power savingtechniques, one or more operations and/or one or more configurationsbased on a first assumption if the UE skips monitoring of a first powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with thefirst power saving signal. The first power saving signal may carry(and/or comprise) an indication related to the one or more power savingtechniques, the one or more operations and/or the one or moreconfigurations. In some embodiments, the base station behaves as if thebase station transmits a power saving signal indicating to (and/orinstructing) the UE to use the first assumption (and/or the one or morepower saving techniques, the one or more operations and/or the one ormore configurations). In an example, responsive to the base stationdetermining and/or realizing that the UE does not monitor and/or skipsmonitoring the first power saving signal in the one or more monitoringoccasions, the base station may perform the one or more operationsand/or apply the one or more power saving techniques and/or the one ormore configurations that the that the base station is configured toperform and/or apply responsive to transmitting a power saving signalindicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to use the first assumption.

In a fifth embodiment, a base station indicates to (and/or instructs) aUE not to monitor one or more monitoring occasions for a power savingsignal. In some embodiments, the UE receives an indication from a basestation, wherein the indication indicates to (and/or instructs) the UEnot to monitor one or more monitoring occasions for a power savingsignal. In some embodiments, the one or more monitoring occasions arewithin Active Time (associated with the UE). In some embodiments, the UEmonitors PDCCH in the one or more monitoring occasions for PDCCH otherthan the power saving signal (e.g., the UE monitors PDCCH in the one ormore monitoring occasions for one or more PDCCH signals other than thepower saving signal). Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE maymonitor PDCCH in a slot comprising the one or more monitoring occasionsfor PDCCH other than the power saving signal (e.g., the UE monitorsPDCCH in the slot comprising the one or more monitoring occasions forone or more PDCCH signals other than the power saving signal). In someembodiments, the indication is specifically for skipping monitoring forthe power saving signal. The indication may not be used (by the UE) toskip monitoring of PDCCH other than power saving signal (e.g., the UEmay not skip monitoring of one or more PDCCH signals other than thepower saving signal based on the indication). In some embodiments, theindication is associated with the power saving signal. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the indication may be associated with the one ormore monitoring occasions for the power saving signal.

In a sixth embodiment, a UE receives an indication from a base stationto monitor a power saving signal. One or more monitoring occasionsassociated with the power saving signal are within Active Time. The UEmay be configured and/or scheduled to monitor both the power savingsignal and PDCCH other than the power saving signal (e.g., the UE may beconfigured and/or scheduled to monitor both the power saving signal andone or more PDCCH signals other than the power saving signalconcurrently). Monitoring both the power saving signal and PDCCH otherthan power saving signal may exceed a UE capability of the UE. The UEmay determine one or more PDCCH candidates for monitoring based on oneor more priorities (e.g., the one or more priorities may be associatedwith the power saving signal and/or one or more PDCCH signals other thanthe power saving signal). In some embodiments, the UE prioritizes one ormore PDCCH candidates for a power saving signal. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may prioritize a DCI format for a power savingsignal. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may prioritize aCORESET for a power saving signal. Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE may prioritize a search space for a power saving signal. In someembodiments, the UE does not monitor one or more PDCCH candidates fordownlink data if the UE capability is exceeded. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may not monitor a DCI format for downlink data ifthe UE capability is exceeded. In some embodiments, the UE may selectone or more types of PDCCH for monitoring based on priorities associatedwith types of PDCCH scheduled in a slot if the UE capability isexceeded. In some embodiments, the UE prioritizes one or more PDCCHcandidates for a power saving signal over one or more PDCCH candidatesfor downlink data. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE mayprioritize one or more PDCCH candidates for uplink data over one or morePDCCH candidates for downlink data. Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE may prioritize one or more PDCCH candidates for uplink data overone or more PDCCH candidates for a power saving signal. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the UE may prioritize one or more PDCCH candidatesfor a power saving signal over one or more PDCCH candidates for uplinkdata. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may prioritize one ormore DCI formats for a power saving signal over one or more DCI formatsfor downlink data. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE mayprioritize one or more DCI formats for uplink data over one or more DCIformats for downlink data. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE mayprioritize one or more DCI formats for uplink data over one or more DCIformats for a power saving signal. Alternatively and/or additionally,the UE may prioritize one or more DCI formats for a power saving signalover one or more DCI formats for uplink data. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may prioritize one or more CCEs for a power savingsignal over one or more CCEs for downlink data. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may prioritize one or more CCEs for uplink dataover one or more CCEs for downlink data. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may prioritize one or more CCEs for uplink dataover one or more CCEs for a power saving signal. The UE prioritize oneor more CCEs for a power saving signal over one or more CCEs for uplinkdata. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may prioritize one ormore CORESETs for a power saving signal over one or more CORESETs fordownlink data. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may prioritizeone or more CORESETs for uplink data over one or more CORESETs fordownlink data. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may prioritizeone or more CORESETs for uplink data over one or more CORESETs for apower saving signal. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE mayprioritize one or more CORESETs for a power saving signal over one ormore CORESETs for uplink data. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UEmay prioritize one or more search spaces for a power saving signal overone or more search spaces for downlink data. Alternatively and/oradditionally, the UE may prioritize one or more search spaces for uplinkdata over one or more search spaces for downlink data. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the UE may prioritize one or more search spaces foruplink data over one or more search spaces for a power saving signal.Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may prioritize one or moresearch spaces for a power saving signal over one or more search spacesfor uplink data.

One, some and/or all of the foregoing techniques and/or embodiments canbe formed to a new embodiment.

In some examples, embodiments disclosed herein, such as embodimentsdescribed with respect to the first embodiment, the second embodiment,the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment, andthe sixth embodiment, may be implemented independently and/orseparately. Alternatively and/or additionally, a combination ofembodiments described herein, such as embodiments described with respectto the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment,the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment, and/or the sixthembodiment, may be implemented. Alternatively and/or additionally, acombination of embodiments described herein, such as embodimentsdescribed with respect to the first embodiment, the second embodiment,the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment,and/or the sixth embodiment, may be implemented concurrently and/orsimultaneously.

Various techniques of the present disclosure may be performedindependently and/or separately from one another. Alternatively and/oradditionally, various techniques of the present disclosure may becombined and/or implemented using a single system. Alternatively and/oradditionally, various techniques of the present disclosure may beimplemented concurrently and/or simultaneously.

Throughout the present disclosure, if an assumption, a configurationand/or power saving related information is applied (such as by a basestation and/or a UE), a base station and/or a UE may perform one or moreoperations and/or processing based on the assumption, the configurationand/or the power saving related information. The one or more operationsand/or the processing may comprise one or more operations and/orprocessing associated with a control channel and/or a data channel(e.g., the one or more operations and/or the processing may comprise atleast one of scheduling, receiving, transmitting, buffering, monitoring,decoding, etc. of a control channel and/or a data channel).

Operations, techniques and/or behavior described herein with respect toa UE may be correspondingly applied to a base station.

Operations, techniques and/or behavior described herein with respect toa base station may be correspondingly applied to a UE.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart 800 according to one exemplary embodiment fromthe perspective of a UE. In step 805, the UE receives an indication froma base station to monitor a power saving signal. In step 810, the UEdetermines whether to monitor the power saving signal in a slot based onwhether the slot is within Active Time (e.g., Active Time associatedwith the UE).

In one embodiment, the UE determines whether to skip monitoring of thepower saving signal in a slot based on whether the slot is within ActiveTime.

In one embodiment, the power saving signal is monitored before a DRX ONduration.

In one embodiment, the slot is before the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, an offset is indicative of one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal. For example, amonitoring occasion, of the one or more monitoring occasions, in whichthe power saving signal may be monitored may be determined based on theoffset.

In one embodiment, the offset indicates a time duration between abeginning of a DRX ON duration and the one or more monitoring occasionsassociated with the power saving signal.

In one embodiment, the power saving signal is carried on a PDCCH.

In one embodiment, the PDCCH does not comprise scheduling informationfor the UE.

In one embodiment, the PDCCH is for power saving.

In one embodiment, the PDCCH is a group common PDCCH.

In one embodiment, the PDCCH is for a group of UEs.

In one embodiment, the PDCCH is monitored in a common search space.

In one embodiment, the PDCCH is scrambled with a RNTI specific for powersaving.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal for the UE.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal for the UE when the UE does not monitor a power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions associated with the power savingsignal.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal for the UE when the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions associated with the power savingsignal.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal indicating one or more values in one or more fields of a DCI forthe power saving signal. In an example, responsive to the UE skippingmonitoring and/or determining to skip monitoring of a power savingsignal in one or more monitoring occasions associated with the powersaving signal, the UE may perform one or more operations and/or applyone or more power saving techniques and/or one or more configurationsthat the UE is configured to perform and/or apply responsive toreceiving a power saving signal indicative of the one or more values inthe one or more fields.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal indicating whether a power saving technique is applied. In anexample, responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining toskip monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal, the UE may performone or more operations and/or apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicative ofwhether to apply the power saving technique.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal indicating how a power saving technique is applied. In anexample, responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining toskip monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal, the UE may performone or more operations and/or apply one or more power saving techniquesand/or one or more configurations that the UE is configured to performand/or apply responsive to receiving a power saving signal indicative ofhow to apply the power saving technique.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal indicating a power consumption characteristic. In an example,responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining to skipmonitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsassociated with the power saving signal, the UE may perform one or moreoperations and/or apply one or more power saving techniques and/or oneor more configurations that the UE is configured to perform and/or applyresponsive to receiving a power saving signal indicative of the powerconsumption characteristic.

In one embodiment, the power saving technique is associated with thepower saving signal.

In one embodiment, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration if the UE skipsmonitoring of the power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions for the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration or goes tosleep for the DRX ON duration based on an indication and/or aconfiguration from the base station.

In one embodiment, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration or goes tosleep for the DRX ON duration based on an indication and/or aconfiguration from the base station if the UE skips monitoring of apower saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ONduration.

In one embodiment, the UE wakes up for a DRX ON duration or goes tosleep for the DRX ON duration based on a last power saving signal (e.g.,a previously and/or most recently received power saving signal prior tothe DRX ON duration) if the UE skips monitoring of a power saving signalin one or more monitoring occasions for the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the power saving signal carries (and/or comprises) anindication to inform the UE to wake up (or not to wake up).

In one embodiment, the DRX ON duration is associated with one or moremonitoring occasions associated with the power saving signal.

In one embodiment, the UE behaves as if the UE detects a power savingsignal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to wake up. In anexample, responsive to the UE skipping monitoring and/or determining toskip monitoring of a power saving signal in one or more monitoringoccasions associated with the power saving signal, the UE may performone or more operations and/or apply one or more configurations that theUE is configured to perform and/or apply responsive to receiving a powersaving signal indicating to (and/or instructing) the UE to wake up.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, in one exemplary embodiment of a UE,the device 300 includes a program code 312 stored in the memory 310. TheCPU 308 could execute program code 312 to enable the UE (i) to receivean indication from a base station to monitor a power saving signal, and(ii) to determine whether to monitor the power saving signal in a slotbased on whether the slot is within Active Time. Furthermore, the CPU308 can execute the program code 312 to perform one, some and/or all ofthe above-described actions and steps and/or others described herein.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart 900 according to one exemplary embodiment fromthe perspective of a UE. In step 905, the UE receives an indication froma base station. The indication is indicative of monitoring a powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions. At least onemonitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions isassociated with a DRX ON duration and is within Active Time associatedwith the UE. In step 910, the UE does not monitor and/or skipsmonitoring the power saving signal in the at least one monitoringoccasion. In step 915, the UE monitors PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRXON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) all monitoring occasions thatare associated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) a subset of monitoringoccasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the at least one monitoring occasion associatedwith the DRX ON duration is not all (and/or does not comprise all)monitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the DRX ON duration is after the at least onemonitoring occasion and there is an offset between the DRX ON durationand the at least one monitoring occasion.

In one embodiment, the UE does not monitor and/or skips monitoring thepower saving signal in the at least one monitoring occasion and/or theUE monitors PDCCH during the DRX ON duration responsive to adetermination that the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is within the Active Time.

In one embodiment, if at least another monitoring occasion, other thanthe at least one monitoring occasion, associated with the DRX ONduration is not within Active Time associated with the UE, the UEmonitors the power saving signal in the at least another monitoringoccasion and/or the UE determines whether to monitor PDCCH during(and/or for) the DRX ON duration based on the power saving signal (e.g.,the UE determines whether to monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRXON duration based on the power saving signal if the power saving signalis detected in the at least another monitoring occasion).

In one embodiment, the UE receives a second indication from the basestation, wherein the second indication is indicative of monitoring asecond power saving signal in one or more second monitoring occasionsand at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more secondmonitoring occasions is associated with a second DRX ON duration and isnot within Active Time associated with the UE. The UE may monitor thesecond power saving signal in the at least one monitoring occasion ofthe one or more second monitoring occasions. For example, the UE maymonitor the second power saving signal in the at least one monitoringoccasion of the one or more second monitoring occasions responsive to adetermination that the at least one monitoring occasion of the one ormore second monitoring occasions is not within Active Time associatedwith the UE. Alternatively and/or additionally, the UE may determiningwhether to monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the second DRX ON durationbased on the second power saving signal. For example, the UE maydetermine whether to monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the second DRX ONduration based on the second power saving signal responsive to adetermination that the at least one monitoring occasion of the one ormore second monitoring occasions is not within Active Time associatedwith the UE.

In one embodiment, the UE does not receive the power saving signal.

In one embodiment, the UE determines whether to monitor PDCCH for theDRX ON duration based on a configuration from the base station ofwhether to wake up (e.g., the configuration may be indicative of the UEwaking up or indicative of the UE not waking up).

In one embodiment, the UE receives a configuration from the basestation, wherein the configuration is indicative of whether to wake up(e.g., the configuration may be indicative of the UE waking up orindicative of the UE not waking up). The UE may determine to monitorPDCCH during the DRX ON duration based on the configuration, wherein themonitoring PDCCH during the DRX ON duration is performed responsive tothe determination to monitor PDCCH based on the configuration. Forexample, the determination to monitor PDCCH may be based on adetermination that the configuration is indicative of the UE waking up(or not waking up).

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, in one exemplary embodiment of a UE,the device 300 includes a program code 312 stored in the memory 310. TheCPU 308 could execute program code 312 to enable the UE (i) to receivean indication from a base station, wherein the indication is indicativeof monitoring a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsand at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoringoccasions is associated with a DRX ON duration and is within Active Timeassociated with the UE, (ii) to not monitor and/or skip monitoring thepower saving signal in the at least one monitoring occasion, and (iii)to monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRX ON duration. Furthermore,the CPU 308 can execute the program code 312 to perform one, some and/orall of the above-described actions and steps and/or others describedherein.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart 1000 according to one exemplary embodiment fromthe perspective of a UE. In step 1005, the UE receives an indicationfrom a base station. The indication is indicative of monitoring a powersaving signal in one or more monitoring occasions. At least onemonitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions isassociated with a DRX ON duration and is within Active Time associatedwith the UE. In step 1010, the UE does not monitor and/or skipsmonitoring the power saving signal in the at least one monitoringoccasion. In step 1015, the UE determines whether to monitor PDCCHduring (and/or for) the DRX ON duration based on a configuration, fromthe base station, indicative of whether to wake up (e.g., theconfiguration may be indicative of the UE waking up or indicative of theUE not waking up).

In one embodiment, the UE may monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRXON duration based on a determination that the configuration isindicative of the UE waking up.

In one embodiment, the UE may monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRXON duration based on a determination that the configuration isindicative of the UE not waking up (and/or a determination that theconfiguration is indicative of the UE going to sleep).

In one embodiment, the UE may not monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) theDRX ON duration based on a determination that the configuration isindicative of the UE not waking up (and/or a determination that theconfiguration is indicative of the UE going to sleep).

In one embodiment, the UE may not monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) theDRX ON duration based on a determination that the configuration isindicative of the UE waking up.

In one embodiment, at least another monitoring occasion, other than theat least one monitoring occasion, associated with the DRX ON duration isnot within Active Time associated with the UE. The UE monitors the powersaving signal in the at least another monitoring occasion.

In one embodiment, the UE does not receive the power saving signal.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) all monitoring occasions thatare associated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) a subset of monitoringoccasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the at least one monitoring occasion associatedwith the DRX ON duration is not all (and/or does not comprise all)monitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the DRX ON duration is after the at least onemonitoring occasion and there is an offset between the DRX ON durationand the at least one monitoring occasion.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, in one exemplary embodiment of a UE,the device 300 includes a program code 312 stored in the memory 310. TheCPU 308 could execute program code 312 to enable the UE (i) to receivean indication from a base station, wherein the indication is indicativeof monitoring a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasionsand at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoringoccasions is associated with a DRX ON duration and is within Active Timeassociated with the UE, (ii) to not monitor and/or skip monitoring thepower saving signal in the at least one monitoring occasion, and (iii)to determine whether to monitor PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRX ONduration based on a configuration, from the base station, indicative ofwhether to wake up. Furthermore, the CPU 308 can execute the programcode 312 to perform one, some and/or all of the above-described actionsand steps and/or others described herein.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart 1100 according to one exemplary embodiment fromthe perspective of a base station. In step 1105, the base stationtransmits an indication to a UE. The indication is indicative of the UEmonitoring a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions. Atleast one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoring occasions isassociated with a DRX ON duration associated with the UE and is withinActive Time associated with the UE. In step 1110, the base stationschedules, for (and/or to) the UE, PDCCH for the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the base station schedules one or more PDCCH signalsfor the UE to monitor and/or receive during the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the power saving signal is not monitored and/orreceived by the UE in the at least one monitoring occasion.

In one embodiment, the base station indicates to (and/or instructs) theUE, via the power saving signal, not to monitor PDCCH during (and/orfor) the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the power saving signal is indicative of the UE notmonitoring PDCCH during (and/or for) the DRX ON duration. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the power saving signal may be transmitted by thebase station. The power saving signal may not be monitored and/orreceived by the UE.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) all monitoring occasions thatare associated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration.

In one embodiment, the at least one monitoring occasion associated withthe DRX ON duration is (and/or comprises) a subset of monitoringoccasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration. Alternativelyand/or additionally, the at least one monitoring occasion associatedwith the DRX ON duration is not all (and/or does not comprise all)monitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, in one exemplary embodiment of a basestation, the device 300 includes a program code 312 stored in the memory310. The CPU 308 could execute program code 312 to enable the basestation (i) to transmit an indication to a UE, wherein the indication isindicative of the UE monitoring a power saving signal in one or moremonitoring occasions and at least one monitoring occasion of the one ormore monitoring occasions is associated with a DRX ON durationassociated with the UE and is within Active Time associated with the UE,and (ii) to schedule, for (and/or to) the UE, PDCCH for the DRX ONduration. Furthermore, the CPU 308 can execute the program code 312 toperform one, some and/or all of the above-described actions and stepsand/or others described herein.

A communication device (e.g., a UE, a base station, a network node,etc.) may be provided, wherein the communication device may comprise acontrol circuit, a processor installed in the control circuit and/or amemory installed in the control circuit and coupled to the processor.The processor may be configured to execute a program code stored in thememory to perform method steps illustrated in FIGS. 8-11. Furthermore,the processor may execute the program code to perform one, some and/orall of the above-described actions and steps and/or others describedherein.

A computer-readable medium may be provided. The computer-readable mediummay be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer-readablemedium may comprise a flash memory device, a hard disk drive, a disc(e.g., a magnetic disc and/or an optical disc, such as at least one of adigital versatile disc (DVD), a compact disc (CD), etc.), and/or amemory semiconductor, such as at least one of static random accessmemory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamicrandom access memory (SDRAM), etc. The computer-readable medium maycomprise processor-executable instructions, that when executed causeperformance of one, some and/or all method steps illustrated in FIGS.8-11, and/or one, some and/or all of the above-described actions andsteps and/or others described herein.

It may be appreciated that applying one or more of the techniquespresented herein may result in one or more benefits including, but notlimited to, resolving a conflict between PDCCH for a power saving signaland one or more other types of PDCCH, such as in a scenario in whichconcurrently monitoring the power saving signal and PDCCH other than thepower saving signal exceeds a UE capability of a UE.

Various aspects of the disclosure have been described above. It shouldbe apparent that the teachings herein may be embodied in a wide varietyof forms and that any specific structure, function, or both beingdisclosed herein is merely representative. Based on the teachings hereinone skilled in the art should appreciate that an aspect disclosed hereinmay be implemented independently of any other aspects and that two ormore of these aspects may be combined in various ways. For example, anapparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using anynumber of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, such an apparatusmay be implemented or such a method may be practiced using otherstructure, functionality, or structure and functionality in addition toor other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein. As an exampleof some of the above concepts, in some aspects concurrent channels maybe established based on pulse repetition frequencies. In some aspectsconcurrent channels may be established based on pulse position oroffsets. In some aspects concurrent channels may be established based ontime hopping sequences. In some aspects concurrent channels may beestablished based on pulse repetition frequencies, pulse positions oroffsets, and time hopping sequences.

Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signalsmay be represented using any of a variety of different technologies andtechniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information,signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout theabove description may be represented by voltages, currents,electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields orparticles, or any combination thereof.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrativelogical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, and algorithmsteps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may beimplemented as electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, ananalog implementation, or a combination of the two, which may bedesigned using source coding or some other technique), various forms ofprogram or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referredto herein, for convenience, as “software” or a “software module”), orcombinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability ofhardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules,circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms oftheir functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented ashardware or software depends upon the particular application and designconstraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans mayimplement the described functionality in varying ways for eachparticular application, but such implementation decisions should not beinterpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the presentdisclosure.

In addition, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, andcircuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein maybe implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (“IC”), anaccess terminal, or an access point. The IC may comprise a generalpurpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array(FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistorlogic, discrete hardware components, electrical components, opticalcomponents, mechanical components, or any combination thereof designedto perform the functions described herein, and may execute codes orinstructions that reside within the IC, outside of the IC, or both. Ageneral purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of steps in anydisclosed process is an example of a sample approach. Based upon designpreferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy ofsteps in the processes may be rearranged while remaining within thescope of the present disclosure. The accompanying method claims presentelements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not meant to belimited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with theaspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in asoftware module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two.A software module (e.g., including executable instructions and relateddata) and other data may reside in a data memory such as RAM memory,flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a harddisk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readablestorage medium known in the art. A sample storage medium may be coupledto a machine such as, for example, a computer/processor (which may bereferred to herein, for convenience, as a “processor”) such theprocessor can read information (e.g., code) from and write informationto the storage medium. A sample storage medium may be integral to theprocessor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.The ASIC may reside in user equipment. In the alternative, the processorand the storage medium may reside as discrete components in userequipment. Alternatively and/or additionally, in some aspects anysuitable computer-program product may comprise a computer-readablemedium comprising codes relating to one or more of the aspects of thedisclosure. In some aspects a computer program product may comprisepackaging materials.

While the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection withvarious aspects, it will be understood that the disclosed subject matteris capable of further modifications. This application is intended tocover any variations, uses or adaptation of the disclosed subject matterfollowing, in general, the principles of the disclosed subject matter,and including such departures from the present disclosure as come withinthe known and customary practice within the art to which the disclosedsubject matter pertains.

1. A method of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising: receivingan indication from a base station, wherein: the indication is indicativeof monitoring a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions;and at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoringoccasions is associated with a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) ON durationand is within Active Time associated with the UE; at least one of notmonitoring or skipping monitoring the power saving signal in the atleast one monitoring occasion; and monitoring Physical Downlink ControlChannel (PDCCH) during the DRX ON duration.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein: the at least one monitoring occasion associated with the DRX ONduration is all monitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ONduration.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the at least one monitoringoccasion associated with the DRX ON duration is one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein:the at least one monitoring occasion associated with the DRX ON durationis a subset of monitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ONduration.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the DRX ON duration isafter the at least one monitoring occasion; and there is an offsetbetween the DRX ON duration and the at least one monitoring occasion. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein: at least one of: the at least one of notmonitoring or skipping monitoring the power saving signal in the atleast one monitoring occasion, or the monitoring PDCCH during the DRX ONduration, are performed responsive to a determination that the at leastone monitoring occasion associated with the DRX ON duration is withinthe Active Time.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receivinga second indication from the base station, wherein: the secondindication is indicative of monitoring a second power saving signal inone or more second monitoring occasions; and at least one monitoringoccasion of the one or more second monitoring occasions is associatedwith a second DRX ON duration and is not within Active Time associatedwith the UE; and at least one of: monitoring the second power savingsignal in the at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more secondmonitoring occasions; or determining whether to monitor PDCCH during thesecond DRX ON duration based on the second power saving signal.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein: the UE does not receive the power savingsignal.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving aconfiguration from the base station, wherein the configuration isindicative of whether to wake up; and determining to monitor PDCCHduring the DRX ON duration based on the configuration, wherein themonitoring PDCCH during the DRX ON duration is performed responsive tothe determination to monitor PDCCH based on the configuration.
 10. Amethod of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving anindication from a base station, wherein: the indication is indicative ofmonitoring a power saving signal in one or more monitoring occasions;and at least one monitoring occasion of the one or more monitoringoccasions is associated with a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) ON durationand is within Active Time associated with the UE; at least one of notmonitoring or skipping monitoring the power saving signal in the atleast one monitoring occasion; and determining whether to monitorPhysical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) during the DRX ON durationbased on a configuration, from the base station, indicative of whetherto wake up.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein: the UE does not receivethe power saving signal.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein: the atleast one monitoring occasion associated with the DRX ON duration is allmonitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration. 13.The method of claim 10, wherein: the at least one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration is one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration.
 14. The method of claim 10,wherein: the at least one monitoring occasion associated with the DRX ONduration is a subset of monitoring occasions that are associated withthe DRX ON duration.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein: the DRX ONduration is after the at least one monitoring occasion; and there is anoffset between the DRX ON duration and the at least one monitoringoccasion.
 16. A method of a base station, the method comprising:transmitting an indication to a User Equipment (UE), wherein: theindication is indicative of the UE monitoring a power saving signal inone or more monitoring occasions; and at least one monitoring occasionof the one or more monitoring occasions is associated with aDiscontinuous Reception (DRX) ON duration associated with the UE and iswithin Active Time associated with the UE; and scheduling, for the UE,Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for the DRX ON duration. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein: the power saving signal is at least oneof not monitored or not received by the UE in the at least onemonitoring occasion.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein: the powersaving signal is indicative of the UE not monitoring PDCCH during theDRX ON duration.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein: the at least onemonitoring occasion associated with the DRX ON duration is allmonitoring occasions that are associated with the DRX ON duration. 20.The method of claim 16, wherein: the at least one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration is one monitoring occasionassociated with the DRX ON duration.